20100419032869A

(SEE ATTACHMENT) AT 1300 HOURS ON APRIL 19, 2010 THE IND FSDO RECEIVED A CALL FROM GREAT LAKES ROC THAT AN ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED AT 1135L (EDT) IN A PLOWED FIELD APPROXIMATE THREE (3) NM NORTHWEST OF MADISON, IN AIRPORT (KIMS). THE INVESTIGATION TEAM CONSISTED OF THREE INSPECTORS AND AN AVIATION SAFETY TECHNICIAN ASSIGNED FROM THE IND FSDO OFFICE. I WAS ACTING AS THE IIC FOR THE ACCIDENT OF PIPER PA-24 250 (COMANCHE 250) N5425P, ACCOMPANIED BY TWO AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS. THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT N 38 DEG 48 MIN 4 SEC AND W 85 DEG 31 MIN 36 SEC. AT THE TIME OF NOTIFICATION, THERE WERE NO DETAILS ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT OR ITS OCCUPANTS. "ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT RESTING IN THE FIELD ABOUT 500 FEET SOUTH OF A TREE LINE ALONG AN EAST/WEST ACCESS FARM ROAD, AND ABOUT 150 FEET EAST OF A NORTH/SOUTH FARM ACCESS ROAD. THE ONLY RECOGNIZABLE PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE EMPENNAGE SECTION. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS LARGELY LOCATED IN ONE AREA WITH THE ENGINE IMBEDDED FOUR FEET INTO THE FIELD SO THAT THE FIREWALL WAS LEVEL WITH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. THE INDIANA STATE POLICE WAS ON SCENE AT THE TIME OF OUR ARRIVAL AND PROVIDED LOGISTICAL ASSISTANCE. PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL, THE BODY OF THE PILOT HAD BEEN REMOVED BY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY CORONER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT INSTRUMENTATION INDICATED THAT THE IMPACT OCCURRED AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 210 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT DEBRIS FIELD WAS SCATTERED IN A PATTERN THAT INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT APPROXIMATELY ABOUT AN 80-85 DEGREE ANGLE RELATIVE TO THE GROUND AND ON A PATH OF ABOUT 220 DEGREES MAGNETIC (SEE THE ATTACHED SITE DIAGRAM). WEATHER CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED AS 67 DEGREES F, VMC WITH LIGHT WINDS FROM THE SOUTHWEST. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN EYE WITNESS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY ONE (1) MILE FROM THE ACCIDENT SCENE (SEE ATTACHED WITNESS STATEMENT), OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT MAKE A MANEUVER PRIOR TO IMPACT AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACT THE GROUND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER HIS RESIDENCE AT A LOW ENOUGH ALTITUDE THAT HE COULD SEE THE RIVET SEAM OF THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DID NOT HEAR THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHING UNTIL IT WAS DIRECTLY OVERHEARD AND WAS ALERTED BY THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE "REVVING UP". THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTINUED TO FLY IN A NNW DIRECTION AFTER WHICH THE AIRCRAFT THEN BANKED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT, AND BEGAN A HARD PULL-UP WHILE BANKING TO THE RIGHT. USING A MODEL AIRPLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEMONSTRATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED THE RIGHT TURN TO A "WINGOVER" AND THEN TO A "SPLIT S" RESULTING IN JUST ABOUT A 180 DEGREE COURSE REVERSAL BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. DURING INTERVIEWS OF SEVERAL CLOSE FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES AND RELATIVES OF THE PILOT, THERE WERE STATEMENTS MADE THAT PILOT HAD NOT BEEN ACTING LIKE "HIMSELF". ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A VERY CLOSE FRIEND TO THE PILOT, AND A PILOT HIMSELF, SAID THAT ON THE SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT (LESS THAN 48 HOURS), THE PILOT APPEARED LUCID AND FINE DURING THEIR TWO HOUR VISIT. HOWEVER, ON SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 (LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT), ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, HAD TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE PILOT TO OPERATE THE FUEL PUMP, SOMETHING THAT THE PILOT HAD DONE MANY TIMES BY HIMSELF. FURTHER, SEVERAL COMMENTS WERE HEARD THAT THE PILOT HAD A SMALL STROKE JUST TEN DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THIS MEDICAL INFORMATION COULD NOT BE SUBSTANTIATED DUE TO FEDERAL PRIVACY LAWS. INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS DO NOT INDICATE THAT THERE WERE ANY AIRWORTHINESS ISSUES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT DID HAVE A CURRENT MEDICAL (SEE ATTACHMENT) AND DID HAVE A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW (SEE LOG BOOK ATTACHMENT)."