OpenAirDocs.org

20150222002019A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Piper PA-46 · Spokane, WA · February 22, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 22, 2015 · 13:27 local
Place
Spokane, WA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
C-GVZW
Reported as
Piper PA-46
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, unknown or foreign certificate
Pilot’s flight hours
668 total405 in this make and model226 in the last 90 days

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.

The subject aircraft was in transit from Canada and landed at Spokane felts field (ksff) to clear customs and for refueling.

The aircraft departed ksff runway 22R enroute to stockton metropolitan airport (ksck) via the felts 3 departure. During climb-out, ATC queried the pilot if he was going to turn to heading 190 per the departure. The pilot replied he was having engine trouble and would like to return to the airport. The controller cleared him to land on any runway. The pilot responded he would not be able to return and asked for suggestions. The aircraft then descended below radar coverage.

Witnesses describe hearing the engine operating erratically and the aircraft descending in a left bank, pitching up, and then banking right.

The aircraft continued to descend in a right bank until the right wing tip struck the railroad tracks at the east end of a railroad bridge, approximately 4 miles from the departure end of ksff runway 22R. The aircraft slid down the south side of the bridge embankment, continued across the road below the bridge, and slid into a concrete abutment at the west end of the bridge. The aircraft came to rest upside down against the abutment. Both wings were detached but near the fuselage. The baggage door and parts of the propeller were located on the railroad tracks. The radome was located on the bridge embankment. The upper right side of the fuselage was partially caved-in. The engine was destroyed. There was no fire. The pilot (sole occupant) was seriously injured and succumed to his injuries two days later.

As the FAA filed it

THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS IN TRANSIT FROM CANADA AND LANDED AT SPOKANE FELTS FIELD (KSFF) TO CLEAR CUSTOMS AND FOR REFUELING.

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KSFF RUNWAY 22R ENROUTE TO STOCKTON METROPOLITAN AIRPORT (KSCK) VIA THE FELTS 3 DEPARTURE. DURING CLIMB-OUT, ATC QUERIED THE PILOT IF HE WAS GOING TO TURN TO HEADING 190 PER THE DEPARTURE. THE PILOT REPLIED HE WAS HAVING ENGINE TROUBLE AND WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE CONTROLLER CLEARED HIM TO LAND ON ANY RUNWAY. THE PILOT RESPONDED HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN AND ASKED FOR SUGGESTIONS. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DESCENDED BELOW RADAR COVERAGE.

WITNESSES DESCRIBE HEARING THE ENGINE OPERATING ERRATICALLY AND THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING IN A LEFT BANK, PITCHING UP, AND THEN BANKING RIGHT.

THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND IN A RIGHT BANK UNTIL THE RIGHT WING TIP STRUCK THE RAILROAD TRACKS AT THE EAST END OF A RAILROAD BRIDGE, APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF KSFF RUNWAY 22R. THE AIRCRAFT SLID DOWN THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE EMBANKMENT, CONTINUED ACROSS THE ROAD BELOW THE BRIDGE, AND SLID INTO A CONCRETE ABUTMENT AT THE WEST END OF THE BRIDGE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN AGAINST THE ABUTMENT. BOTH WINGS WERE DETACHED BUT NEAR THE FUSELAGE. THE BAGGAGE DOOR AND PARTS OF THE PROPELLER WERE LOCATED ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS. THE RADOME WAS LOCATED ON THE BRIDGE EMBANKMENT. THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WAS PARTIALLY CAVED-IN. THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED. THERE WAS NO FIRE. THE PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT) WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AND SUCCUMED TO HIS INJURIES TWO DAYS LATER.