[SixClub] Tragic Accident - C6APR

Tue Nov 24 20:19:42 EST 2009

All,

Here's the preliminary FAA report.  Being a pilot and a Ham (so is my brother, NO8X), this really hits double.  From the report, the pilot seemed to have done his homework for the weight and balance issues.  The only thing I can think may have happened was it was miscalculated or the plane was overloaded.  The report doesn't say that but that's my guess.

Hoppy
N8OX

NTSB Identification: ERA10FA024
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, October 21, 2009 in Summerville, SC
Aircraft: PIPER PA-23-250, registration: N62635
Injuries: 4 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On October 21, 2009, about 0624 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N62635, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain immediately after takeoff from the Summerville Airport (DYB), Summerville, South Carolina. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan, with a destination of St. Lucie County International Airport (FPR), Ft. Pierce, Florida, was filed. The certificated commercial pilot/owner and the three passengers were fatally injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. 

The airplane was based at DYB. A few days prior to the accident, the pilot was observed flying the accident airplane in the traffic pattern at night, and several individuals at the airport reported that the pilot did this to ensure that he was current for night operations. Email printouts that were found on the floor of the hangar where the accident airplane was stored contained communications between the four occupants about the weight and balance of the airplane. Their email discussions also included the decision to create a list of what items should be left behind if the original planned load exceeded the airplane limitations. Other paperwork found in the hangar documented the weights, in pounds and ounces, of the planned cargo items. The occupants of the airplane were headed to a CQ World Wide Phone Contest, an amateur radio operator contest in the Bahamas.

A flight plan was filed for a 0545 departure from DYB. Several individuals who lived in houses located southeast and northwest of the airport heard the accident flight. One witness heard the airplane's engines start up, and observed the airplane during its takeoff roll from runway 24. However, due to the location of the trees on his property, the witness was unable to see the airplane during its initial climb phase. Another witness reported that around 0615 she heard the airplane when it was "in the place where the airplanes sit before they take off," and that the engine sounds changed pitch twice. Most witnesses reported noticing that the sound of the engines was "loud." Some witnesses reported that the runway lights were not illuminated prior to the accident. Several witnesses reported three or four post-accident explosions.

Post accident activation by both the airport manager and the arriving medical helicopter revealed that all the lights illuminated correctly. About 0627, a Dorchester County Sheriff's patrol unit arrived on scene, and very shortly thereafter, the fire department units also arrived. 

An on-scene investigation revealed that the airplane impacted the ground in a wooded area 584 feet south of the centerline, and approximately 2/3 of the way along runway 24. The first tree that the airplane impacted was 74 feet beyond the boundary of the wooded area. The surrounding trees were approximately 80 feet high. The tree and ground scars indicated a left-wing low attitude as the airplane entered the trees and the airplane came to rest 93 feet from the point of first tree strike. The debris path was oriented on a 102 degree heading, and the wreckage was oriented on a 360 degree heading. The left wing outboard fuel tank was located along the debris path, 45 feet from the initial tree impact. It exhibited extensive impact damage, and was devoid of fuel. The remainder of the airplane exhibited fire and crush damage. Control cable continuity for the ailerons and elevator, from the cockpit floor area where the control column was located, to all
 respective control surface attach points, was confirmed. The landing gear and flaps were in their retracted positions. The two engines were located adjacent to one another, and all propeller blades remained attached to their respective propeller hubs. 

The pilot, age 69, held a commercial pilot certificate, with ratings for single-, multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) second-class medical was issued on June 10, 2009. At that time, the pilot reported a total flight time of 4,326 hours of flight experience. The pilot had accomplished a biennial flight review on January 29, 2008.

The airplane was issued an FAA airworthiness certificate on April 15, 1976, and was registered to the accident pilot on May 16, 1997. It was equipped with two Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 engines. According to one maintenance provider familiar with the accident airplane, at the time of its most recent annual inspection, the hour-recording meter registered 2,260.1 hours, and there were 5,015.1 total hours of service on the airframe. On October 19, 2009 the oil was changed on both engines, and at that time the hour-meter registered 2,345.4 hours, the left engine had accumulated 1,581.0 total hours in service, and the right engine had accumulated 1,906.4 total hours in service. According to a mechanic at DYB, the aircraft, engine, and propeller logbooks had been lost by the accident pilot approximately one month prior to the accident. 

The 0615 reported weather observation at DYB included calm winds; visibility 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 4 degrees C, dew point 3 degrees C; altimeter 30.26 inches of mercury.

--- On Wed, 10/21/09, Richard J. Fiero II W5TFW <joeyw5tfw at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Richard J. Fiero II W5TFW <joeyw5tfw at gmail.com>
> Subject: [SixClub] Tragic Accident - C6APR
> To: sixclub at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 6:10 PM
> Tragic Accident - C6APR
> 
> From: paul at nn4f.com
> To:
> cq-contest at contesting.com
> Sent: 10/21/2009 4:46:27 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
> Subj: [CQ-Contest] Tragic Accident - C6APR
> 
> It is with great sadness that I have to inform the
> community of a tragic
> accident this morning at 630am EST.
> 
> The C6APR team, consisting of Pete, W2GJ, Ed, K3IXD, Randy
> K4QO and
> Dallas W3PP were all killed this morning as their aircraft
> crashed on
> take-off from Summerville Airport, SC on their way to
> Crooked Island,
> Bahamas. They were on their way to operate in the CQWW
> contest this
> weekend.
> 
> Our thoughts are with their families in this tragic time!
> 
> More as it made available!
> 
> Paul - NN4F
> 
>  We are all dumb struck this is, Terrible.
> 
>                
>                
>                
>    Joey
> 
> 
> 
>                
>                
>               A.R.S.
> W5TFW
>                
>                
>              Richard
> J. Fiero II
>                
>                
>          
>    www.w5tfw.com
>                
>                
>              
> www.6mt.com
> 
>   Life's Tough,...... Its even tougher if you are
> Stupid !
> 
>                
>                
>            John Wayne
> ______________________________________________________________
> SixClub mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/sixclub
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:SixClub at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> 