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20111129027469A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32RT-300T · Hailey, ID · November 29, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 29, 2011 · 18:55 local
Place
Hailey, ID
Airport
Friedman Memorial
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N36824
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR12LA048
Reported as
Piper PA-32RT-300T
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,050 total1,400 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N36824Registration cancelled Jan 26, 2012 · Piper PA-32RT-300TS/N 32R-7887087 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-32RT-300TEngine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

At appoximaely 1845 hrs. Local N36824 a PA-32RT-300T was cleared to taxi way brovo and runway 13.the taxi to the end of the run was uneventul. N36824 was cleared for take off from sun runway 13. Altimeter was 3020, winds 310 @ 6, skies clear, temp. 2, dewpoint -2. The pilot positioned the aircraft on runway 13 and initiated a take off role with the aircraft becoming airborne around mid field. The pilot attempted to engage the autopiot in heading mode. The pilot stated that the heading bug was positioned on runway heading. This was confirmed later during the on scene investigation. For unknown reasons the autopilot did not engage in the heading mode. The pilot became distracted with the autopilot and navigation systems at this point and did not realize the aircraft was no longer on runway heading and was turning to the southeast towards the rising terrain. ATC questioned the aircrafts heading and asked if he was entering the down wind. The pilot replied "no I'm turning to straight out". ATC asked the pilot if he required assistance. The pilot replied "no, but thanks". No further communication between N36824 and the Hailey tower were successful. Moments later the passenger and pilot see terrain illuminated by the landing light. The pilot attempts corrective actions but realizes the TAWS display on the garmin 496 was completely red. The pilot felt there was no way to escape the rising terrain and decided to make an emergency landing. The aircraft was configured with gear down, 10 degrees of flaps. The pilot reduced power to an estimated 65 knots. He then made contact with the rising terrain with the nose gear, then the left main gear, right main gear and right wing tip. The aircraft then skidded approximately 210 feet up hill and came to rest in a saddle between two peaks. The two ccupents were able to contact emergency services with a cell phone. The 911 tape from the sheriffs department confirmed that the pilot thought he had crashed in the mountains to the southwest. However, the crash occured in the mountains to the southeast. The two occupants were then pickedup by a life light helicopter approximately 35 minutes later when it became obvious that the terrain and conditions would preclude a ground rescue. The pilot sustained serious injuries to his left hand and back. The female passenger sustained a serious laceration on her forehead and a compression injury to her back requiring substantial hospitilization.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPOXIMAELY 1845 HRS. LOCAL N36824 A PA-32RT-300T WAS CLEARED TO TAXI WAY BROVO AND RUNWAY 13.THE TAXI TO THE END OF THE RUN WAS UNEVENTUL. N36824 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF FROM SUN RUNWAY 13. ALTIMETER WAS 3020, WINDS 310 @ 6, SKIES CLEAR, TEMP. 2, DEWPOINT -2. THE PILOT POSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 13 AND INITIATED A TAKE OFF ROLE WITH THE AIRCRAFT BECOMING AIRBORNE AROUND MID FIELD. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE AUTOPIOT IN HEADING MODE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE HEADING BUG WAS POSITIONED ON RUNWAY HEADING. THIS WAS CONFIRMED LATER DURING THE ON SCENE INVESTIGATION. FOR UNKNOWN REASONS THE AUTOPILOT DID NOT ENGAGE IN THE HEADING MODE. THE PILOT BECAME DISTRACTED WITH THE AUTOPILOT AND NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AT THIS POINT AND DID NOT REALIZE THE AIRCRAFT WAS NO LONGER ON RUNWAY HEADING AND WAS TURNING TO THE SOUTHEAST TOWARDS THE RISING TERRAIN. ATC QUESTIONED THE AIRCRAFTS HEADING AND ASKED IF HE WAS ENTERING THE DOWN WIND. THE PILOT REPLIED "NO I'M TURNING TO STRAIGHT OUT". ATC ASKED THE PILOT IF HE REQUIRED ASSISTANCE. THE PILOT REPLIED "NO, BUT THANKS". NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN N36824 AND THE HAILEY TOWER WERE SUCCESSFUL. MOMENTS LATER THE PASSENGER AND PILOT SEE TERRAIN ILLUMINATED BY THE LANDING LIGHT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTS CORRECTIVE ACTIONS BUT REALIZES THE TAWS DISPLAY ON THE GARMIN 496 WAS COMPLETELY RED. THE PILOT FELT THERE WAS NO WAY TO ESCAPE THE RISING TERRAIN AND DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONFIGURED WITH GEAR DOWN, 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS. THE PILOT REDUCED POWER TO AN ESTIMATED 65 KNOTS. HE THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE RISING TERRAIN WITH THE NOSE GEAR, THEN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR, RIGHT MAIN GEAR AND RIGHT WING TIP. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 210 FEET UP HILL AND CAME TO REST IN A SADDLE BETWEEN TWO PEAKS.THE TWO CCUPENTS WERE ABLE TO CONTACT EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH A CELL PHONE. THE 911 TAPE FROM THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT CONFIRMED THAT THE PILOT THOUGHT HE HAD CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SOUTHWEST. HOWEVER, THE CRASH OCCURED IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE TWO OCCUPANTS WERE THEN PICKEDUP BY A LIFE LIGHT HELICOPTER APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES LATER WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE TERRAIN AND CONDITIONS WOULD PRECLUDE A GROUND RESCUE. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES TO HIS LEFT HAND AND BACK. THE FEMALE PASSENGER SUSTAINED A SERIOUS LACERATION ON HER FOREHEAD AND A COMPRESSION INJURY TO HER BACK REQUIRING SUBSTANTIAL HOSPITILIZATION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR12LA048Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHailey, IDThe pilot's failure to maintain course heading and terrain clearance because he was distracted by efforts to engage the autopilot shortly after takeoff on a dark night in mountainous terrain.Nov 30, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N36824 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19790805029429IFinal Approach · New Bedford, MABird strike to wing during landing phase.Aug 5, 1979 · Minor damage