What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 22, 2015 around 0900-0915 local time N465JA a Piper PA-23 serial NUMBER23-1033 was involved in an accident which resulted in the aircraft being destroyed. Both pilots on board were fatally injured as a result of the crash. The aircraft came to rest inside a building used to manufacture motor vehicle air bag propellant cartridges. There was a post-crash fire which was very hot which melted most the aircraft structure and the non-steel parts of the aircraft. A detailed inspection of the maintenance logs showed the aircraft had its last annual inspection completed on 12/15/2014 and the CFR 14 91.413 /91.411 checks were performed on 1/14/2013.
The aircraft was being used for 14 CFR part 61 flight training the morning of the accident. Instructor pilot, an airline transport pilot holding also a flight instructor rating, was on board the aircraft giving instruction to student pilot, who held a private pilot rating.
Information collected from witness statements revealed that the aircraft may have been set up for slow flight training or conducting power off stall training. According to witness?s statements and surveillance video, from a building near the accident site, the aircraft was flying normally towards the airport then abruptly nose dived, near a 90 degree angle, descending towards the ground when the aircraft impacted the building.
Due to the intense heat generated during the post crash fire, a complete inspection of the aircraft was unfeasable as most of aircraft was consumed by the fire.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 22, 2015 AROUND 0900-0915 LOCAL TIME N465JA A PIPER PA-23 SERIAL NUMBER23-1033 WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT BEING DESTROYED. BOTH PILOTS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST INSIDE A BUILDING USED TO MANUFACTURE MOTOR VEHICLE AIR BAG PROPELLANT CARTRIDGES. THERE WAS A POST-CRASH FIRE WHICH WAS VERY HOT WHICH MELTED MOST THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE AND THE NON-STEEL PARTS OF THE AIRCRAFT. A DETAILED INSPECTION OF THE MAINTENANCE LOGS SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT HAD ITS LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION COMPLETED ON 12/15/2014 AND THE CFR 14 91.413 /91.411 CHECKS WERE PERFORMED ON 1/14/2013.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING USED FOR 14 CFR PART 61 FLIGHT TRAINING THE MORNING OF THE ACCIDENT. INSTRUCTOR PILOT, AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT HOLDING ALSO A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RATING, WAS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT GIVING INSTRUCTION TO STUDENT PILOT, WHO HELD A PRIVATE PILOT RATING.
INFORMATION COLLECTED FROM WITNESS STATEMENTS REVEALED THAT THE AIRCRAFT MAY HAVE BEEN SET UP FOR SLOW FLIGHT TRAINING OR CONDUCTING POWER OFF STALL TRAINING. ACCORDING TO WITNESS?S STATEMENTS AND SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, FROM A BUILDING NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING NORMALLY TOWARDS THE AIRPORT THEN ABRUPTLY NOSE DIVED, NEAR A 90 DEGREE ANGLE, DESCENDING TOWARDS THE GROUND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE BUILDING.
DUE TO THE INTENSE HEAT GENERATED DURING THE POST CRASH FIRE, A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNFEASABLE AS MOST OF AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY THE FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.