What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 29th at about 1604 EDT N619VH, a Piper PA46-350P impacted a field southeast of the departure runway 21 of Custer Airport (kttf). The aircraft was on an IFR flight plan in VMC conditions. Radar data indicates the aircraft was at 132 knots ground speed at 800 feet. Witnesses at the scene reported the aircraft was at a higher than normal rate of speed on final to runway 21 with the landing gear retracted. Investigation of runway 21 showed 37 propeller slash marks approximately 2000 feet down runway 21 with material consistent with the propeller located in the area of the slash marks. A radio call from the mishap aircraft to the local FBO requesting a mechanic was heard by FBO personnel with no response from the aircraft upon subsequent radio calls from the FBO. Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft at low altitude near the end of runway 21 in a steep left hand turn with the gear retracted and the engine at a high power setting. The aircraft was seen banking as high as 90 degrees at an altitude slightly above tree level and at slow rate of speed. The aircraft was then seen to drop suddenly and impact the ground in a nose down attitude with near simultaneous contact of the left wingtip and nose. The dispersal of the wreckage was consistent with a high vertical impact causing the aircraft to break up. The wreckage was then engulfed in a large post impact fire. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. Post crash investigation of the wreckage showed propellor tip damage on all three propellors consistent with the runway ground contact marks. Inspection of the landing gear indicates the gear was in the up and stowed position at impact and the flaps were not extended. Inspection of all other aircraft artifacts showed no obvious abnormal conditions.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 29TH AT ABOUT 1604 EDT N619VH, A PIPER PA46-350P IMPACTED A FIELD SOUTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY 21 OF CUSTER AIRPORT (KTTF). THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN IN VMC CONDITIONS. RADAR DATA INDICATES THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT 132 KNOTS GROUND SPEED AT 800 FEET. WITNESSES AT THE SCENE REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT A HIGHER THAN NORMAL RATE OF SPEED ON FINAL TO RUNWAY 21 WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. INVESTIGATION OF RUNWAY 21 SHOWED 37 PROPELLER SLASH MARKS APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET DOWN RUNWAY 21 WITH MATERIAL CONSISTENT WITH THE PROPELLER LOCATED IN THE AREA OF THE SLASH MARKS. A RADIO CALL FROM THE MISHAP AIRCRAFT TO THE LOCAL FBO REQUESTING A MECHANIC WAS HEARD BY FBO PERSONNEL WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE AIRCRAFT UPON SUBSEQUENT RADIO CALLS FROM THE FBO. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRCRAFT AT LOW ALTITUDE NEAR THE END OF RUNWAY 21 IN A STEEP LEFT HAND TURN WITH THE GEAR RETRACTED AND THE ENGINE AT A HIGH POWER SETTING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SEEN BANKING AS HIGH AS 90 DEGREES AT AN ALTITUDE SLIGHTLY ABOVE TREE LEVEL AND AT SLOW RATE OF SPEED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN SEEN TO DROP SUDDENLY AND IMPACT THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WITH NEAR SIMULTANEOUS CONTACT OF THE LEFT WINGTIP AND NOSE. THE DISPERSAL OF THE WRECKAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH A HIGH VERTICAL IMPACT CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BREAK UP. THE WRECKAGE WAS THEN ENGULFED IN A LARGE POST IMPACT FIRE. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED PROPELLOR TIP DAMAGE ON ALL THREE PROPELLORS CONSISTENT WITH THE RUNWAY GROUND CONTACT MARKS. INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR INDICATES THE GEAR WAS IN THE UP AND STOWED POSITION AT IMPACT AND THE FLAPS WERE NOT EXTENDED. INSPECTION OF ALL OTHER AIRCRAFT ARTIFACTS SHOWED NO OBVIOUS ABNORMAL CONDITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.