19990927029059A

(.19) On September 27, 1999, about 0605 central daylight time, a Piper PA-31P, N100EE, registered to a private individual, collided with a tree then the ground during a non-precision approach to Louisville Winston County Airport (lms), Louisville, Mississippi. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an IFR flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was destroyed by impact and postcrash fire and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight originated about 0530 central daylight time from tupelo municipal-cd lemons airport, tupelo, Mississippi. According to five individuals (non-pilots) who were waiting at the airport for the airplane to land; and planned to be flown by the accident pilot to an airport in Ohio, the weather condition at the lms airport consisted of low heavy fog. One of the individuals reported that it took him an additional 15 minutes to drive to work due to the fog. The airport where the accident occurred has an outside mounted speaker which broadcasts communications of the UNICOM frequency. The airport rotating beacon was on and the runway lights for runway 17/35, were on a low intensity setting; they reported hearing a "clicking" sound over the speaker and noted that the runway lights increased in intensity. The airplane flew over the airport 2 times, the first time was from the north to the south at a high altitude, and the second time from the south to the north. They heard the pilot announce his approach over the speaker and one of the individuals picked up the microphone and radioed the pilot over the UNICOM frequency stating who he was and they could meet at another airport due to the fog. The pilot responded that we probably will but let me shoot this approach and I will get back to you. You should hear me in about 40 seconds. They then heard the pilot communicate over the UNICOM frequency "oh, there is fog rolling into starkville too?" While standing outside, they heard the engines at what they described as were operating at full power then heard 2 sounds followed by another sound. They observed a fireball cross the runway and heard 2 explosions. At no time did they observe the airplane while airborne and they reported that the pilot sounded calm while he was communicating on the UNICOM frequency. Preliminary examination of the area surro unding the airport revealed that the left wing of the airplane about 51 inches inboard from the wingtip, collided with a tree 70 feet above ground level; separating that section of the wing. The location of the tree was determined to be at N33 08 minutes. 882, and west 089 degrees 03 minutes.838. Examination of the runway revealed that the right propeller was found to the left of the centerline of the wreckage path and the left propeller was found to the right of the centerline of the wreckage path. There was no damage noted to the bottom of each engine cowling or to the bottom skin of the nose section of the airplane. (-23) during the conduct of an NDB approach to runway 17 at the Louisville, Mississippi (lms) the aircraft descended below mda and was approximately 500 feet west of the runway, flying parallel to the runway when the a/c left wing impacted a tree, resulting in the loss of approx. 4 1/2 feet of the left wing. The a/c then turned to the left approx. 90 degrees and rolled inverted impacting the edge of the runway on an easterly heading, inverted and nose down. The a/c burned after impact and the pilot was fatally injured. The a/c was landing to pick up passengers for a flight to steubenville, Ohio. Flight times are approximate based on simcom training facility records in August 98.privacy data omittedHad flown many hours since that date, but his pilot log book reportedly perished in the post crash fire. (.4)the pilot received a weather briefing before departure and when near the destination airport, cleared for the NDB approach. The pilot reported the procedure turn inbound; published mda is 1,300 feet MSL. Witnesses on the airport reported heavy low fog and heard the pilot announce over the UNICOM frequency, 'oh there is fog rolling into starkville too?' One of the witne sses advised the pilot they could go to another airport due to the fog; the pilot responded he would execute the approach. The witnesses heard the engines operating at full power then heard the impact and saw a fireball. The airplane impacted the runway inverted, slid across the runway, and came to rest in grass off the runway. A postcrash fire destroyed the airplane. Tree contact approximately 972 feet northwest of the runway impact location separated approximately 51 inches of the left wing. Examination of the engines, propellers, and flight controls revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The pilot had twice failed his airline transport pilot checkride. The designated examiner of the second failed flight test indicated the pilot was marginal in all flight operations. The NDB was checked after the accident; no discrepancies were noted.