20130528008719A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Raytheon A36 · Flagstaff, AZ · May 28, 2013

Date: May 28, 2013 · 11:43 local
Place: Flagstaff, AZ
Airport: Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N999PK
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13FA244
Reported as: Raytheon A36
Reported engine: Continental IO-550 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 610 total115 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N999PKRegistration cancelled Feb 28, 2018 · Raytheon A36S/N E-3380 · Built 2001 Airframe modelRaytheon A36 Engine modelContinental IO-550 seriesReciprocating

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.

After takeoff on runway 21 at flg in conditions which equated to a density altitude of 7890 feet the aircraft was observed and its pilot reported difficulty climbing. Aircraft involved in the accident was observed by pilot in the aircraft that departed immediately after the accident aircraft, to have flown over interstate highway I-17 when unable to climb and then turn towards slightly raising terrain to return to the airport. Wittness on the ground stated that the aircraft was very low and that the engine noise was not correct, that there was some form of sputtering or misfiring, but no loud noise was associated with the misfiring. The aircraft impacted tree tops, descended through trees losing both wings, impacted ground and erupted in flames. Propeller signatures and crankshaft bending and cracking was consistant with significant power being produced when aircraft impacted the trees and the ground.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 21 AT FLG IN CONDITIONS WHICH EQUATED TO A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 7890 FEET THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED AND ITS PILOT REPORTED DIFFICULTY CLIMBING. AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WAS OBSERVED BY PILOT IN THE AIRCRAFT THAT DEPARTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, TO HAVE FLOWN OVER INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I-17 WHEN UNABLE TO CLIMB AND THEN TURN TOWARDS SLIGHTLY RAISING TERRAIN TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. WITTNESS ON THE GROUND STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS VERY LOW AND THAT THE ENGINE NOISE WAS NOT CORRECT, THAT THERE WAS SOME FORM OF SPUTTERING OR MISFIRING, BUT NO LOUD NOISE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MISFIRING. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREE TOPS, DESCENDED THROUGH TREES LOSING BOTH WINGS, IMPACTED GROUND AND ERUPTED IN FLAMES. PROPELLER SIGNATURES AND CRANKSHAFT BENDING AND CRACKING WAS CONSISTANT WITH SIGNIFICANT POWER BEING PRODUCED WHEN AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREES AND THE GROUND.

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 WPR13FA244Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportMountainaire, AZThe pilot's inability to maintain a climb after departure in high-density altitude conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's decision not to track the four-lane highway just beyond the…May 28, 2013 · Destroyed