20010614016929A

(.19) On June 14, 2001, about 2044 hours hawaiian standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N319FC, impacted level terrain approximately 4.7 miles northwest of the Lanai airport, Lanai City, Hawaii. The airplane, owned and operated by a private citizen and rented by the student pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, was destroyed. The student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The certified flight instructor (CFI) sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local night cross-country instructional flight and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed. The flight had departed the honolulu international airport, honolulu, Hawaii, at 2000. The flight was scheduled to terminate at the honolulu airport. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. The flight plan filed for the flight was from honolulu to kokohead, with an ultimate destination of kapalua, on the island of maui. Radar data obtained from honolulu cerap identified the airplane departing from honolulu with a discreet transponder code, 0211, to kokohead. Once the airplane reached kokohead, the discreet transponder code was switched to the VFR beacon code of 1200. The flight was then t racked from kokohead to the channel that separates the islands of molokai and Lanai. The observed track was not direct to the flight plan filed destination. The radar data showed the airplane changed course and flew towards Lanai on a southerly heading, while descending. Radar data then showed the last secondary beacon return at or near the accident site at 2044. The honolulu automated flight service station reported receiving a radio transmission from the flight at 2041 canceling the flight's VFR flight plan. The coast guard (CG) picked up an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal via satellite at 0030, confirmed the signal audibly, and launched a search and rescue (sar) mission about 0100 on June 15th. The CG flight crew located the accident site at 0215. The safety board investigator-in-charge (iic) interviewed the CG flight crew. The flight crew stated that on arrival at the site it was a dark night with no moon out. They also stated that there was 10 miles visibility with scattered clouds around 5,000 feet. The accident site is in an area known as the "bombing range" on the outskirts of the "garden of the gods" at an elevation of 1,670 feet MSL. The area was flat desert terrain with small berms scattered in the area. The wreckage was located in a bowl shaped area with rising terrain around it. The floor of the area consisted of hard dirt with loose gravel present as a top layer. The first identified point of contact (ipc) was 250 feet from the main wreckage. The ipc consisted of impressions imbedded in the dirt. The outside impressions were equidistant to the middle impression, and the distance measured was consistent with the measurement of the landing gear on the airplane. Investigators found a portion of the nose landing gear castering plate about 10 feet from the ipc on the middle impression. About 10 feet from the ipc were the start of propeller marks in the ground. There were 10 total propeller marks and the distance between the marks ranged from 2 to 6 feet. Approximately 50 feet from the ipc was a 4-foot berm. At the top of the berm was a part from the bottom portion of the fuselage. Debris located in-between the berm and the main wreckage consisted of the beacon, top of the vertical stabilizer, and a strut from the right landing gear. Shards of plexiglass from the windows were scattered west of the debris path. The airplane came to re st with the nose oriented on a southeasterly bearing approximately 200 feet from the ipc. The right wing was folded upside down underneath the fuselage. The flap and aileron separated from the right wing. Both wings were separated from the fuselage at the root. The aileron control cables were intact from the cockpit control yokes to the ailerons, with cable saw signatures evident to the upper right wing skin and fuselage skins in the wing root area. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit controls to the stabilator, and rudder. Continuity was established for the flap handle and torque tube in the fuselage; the flap bell cranks were separated from the torque tube attachments with overload signatures evident. The engine had separated from the right side of the firewall, but remained attached to the left portion of the firewall and was lying on its left side. The top spark plugs were removed to facilitate crankshaft rotation, which was accomplished through the accessory gear case. Crankshaft rotation produced thumb compression in all cylinders, with valve action observed on the right side of the engine. The bottom spark plugs were then removed (the no. 2 spark plu g could not be removed due to the position of the engine). According to champion aviation check-a-plug chart AV-27, the removed spark plugs were consistent with normal wear. Fuel was present in the engine driven fuel pump. The vacuum pump rotated freely, and the fuel filters were clean of foreign debris. Both magnetos were attached to their respective mounting pads on the engine. Ignition wires were observed in place. The magnetos were removed and rotation produced strong sparks at the terminals. The carburetor remained attached to the carburetor-mounting pad. The bowl area of the carburetor was broken at the throat area between the throttle valve and venturi area. There were no mechanical anomalies noted with the engine. The left wing at the fuselage attach point was crushed in a semicircular pattern in an aft direction. Approximately 6 feet of the wing tip leading edge was crushed in about a 5-degree angle to the wing's lateral axis. Investigators observed fuel in the left fuel tank. The tail section remained attached to the fuselage. The top portion of the vertical stabilizer was bent towards the right of the airplane. The left side stabilator trim tab was bent, at the tip, in a downward direction. The left seatbelt was found detached at the floorboard. No shoulder harnesses were available on this airplane. (-23) on June 14, 2001 at around 2040 hours standard time poper PA-28-140, N319FC impacted the terrain at approx. 4.7 miles nw of the Lanai airport, Lanai City, HI. The student pilot sustained fatal injuries. The instructor received serious injuries. There were no eyewitnesses to the accident. This dual instructional flight departed the hnl inter. Airport, hnl. Hawai, at 2000 on a VFR flight pland to the kapalua airport on the island of maui and was scheduled to terminate back at the honolulu airport. At 0215 the us coast guard located the crash site. They reported the weather as dark with no moon. 10 mi. Visby, with scattered clouds at around 5000'.