What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident occurred at approximately 1530. The accident airplane departed Topsail Airpark (01NC) at approximately 1515 enroute to albert j. ellis airport (oaj), jacksonville, NC.
The aircraft crashed approximately 1.1 miles southwest of 01NC, on a course of 210 degrees.
Coordinates of the accident scene are:
Impact location: 34 28.299N 77 36.216W
Upon arrival at the scene at 1230, Monday, June 22, 2015. The Piper Sport was lying inverted, the nose of which was buried approximately 4 feet, in the direction of 210 degrees.
The pilots remains had been removed, but were recovered 55 feet from the accident aircraft, in the direction of travel (210 degrees). The aircrafts towbar was also found in the similar area.
The aircraft impacted two small trees (5 inches round), at an altitude of no more than 6 feet, on a heading of approximately 210 degrees. The impact occurred approximately 1.1 nautical miles southwest of runway 21 at Topsail Airpark (01NC), NC. Both wings impacted nearly simultaneously with trees measuring 4-5 inches around, both wings were penetrated to the spar.
The debris field was compact, and appeared to be high energy, high angle impact. The angle of impact/descent is in excess of 65 degrees, with the engine resting nearly 90 degrees vertical.
The nose of the airplane impacted the ground greater than 65 degrees vertical and created a subsequent depression 4 feet deep. The engine and propeller were buried, and the fuselage suffered compression damage over 1 foot. The fuselage folded onto its top, with a bend in the area of the firewall. The rudder was found touching the ground in the direction of travel, albeit inverted.
Little fuel could be detected in the tanks or on the ground, and virtually no smell existed. However, blue staining was noted near the fuel tanks area on visual observation. There was no fire.
Avionics and electronics were damaged. Flaps appeared to be up, and the fuel selector was selected to the right tank, although not fully in the right detent.
Flight control continuity was established, with all cables (rudder), and aileron control rods intact.
The aircraft emergency locator transmitter (121.5) was not emitting at the time of arrival at the scene.
The aircraft had just undergone an annual condition inspection. To date no copies of the pilot's logbook cert or medical have been obtained, and the whereabouts are unknown.
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1530. THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE DEPARTED TOPSAIL AIRPARK (01NC) AT APPROXIMATELY 1515 ENROUTE TO ALBERT J. ELLIS AIRPORT (OAJ), JACKSONVILLE, NC.
THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1.1 MILES SOUTHWEST OF 01NC, ON A COURSE OF 210 DEGREES.
COORDINATES OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE ARE:
IMPACT LOCATION: 34 28.299N 77 36.216W
UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE AT 1230, MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2015. THE PIPER SPORT WAS LYING INVERTED, THE NOSE OF WHICH WAS BURIED APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET, IN THE DIRECTION OF 210 DEGREES.
THE PILOTS REMAINS HAD BEEN REMOVED, BUT WERE RECOVERED 55 FEET FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT, IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL (210 DEGREES). THE AIRCRAFTS TOWBAR WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE SIMILAR AREA.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TWO SMALL TREES (5 INCHES ROUND), AT AN ALTITUDE OF NO MORE THAN 6 FEET, ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 210 DEGREES. THE IMPACT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 1.1 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF RUNWAY 21 AT TOPSAIL AIRPARK (01NC), NC. BOTH WINGS IMPACTED NEARLY SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH TREES MEASURING 4-5 INCHES AROUND, BOTH WINGS WERE PENETRATED TO THE SPAR.
THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS COMPACT, AND APPEARED TO BE HIGH ENERGY, HIGH ANGLE IMPACT. THE ANGLE OF IMPACT/DESCENT IS IN EXCESS OF 65 DEGREES, WITH THE ENGINE RESTING NEARLY 90 DEGREES VERTICAL.
THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND GREATER THAN 65 DEGREES VERTICAL AND CREATED A SUBSEQUENT DEPRESSION 4 FEET DEEP. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE BURIED, AND THE FUSELAGE SUFFERED COMPRESSION DAMAGE OVER 1 FOOT. THE FUSELAGE FOLDED ONTO ITS TOP, WITH A BEND IN THE AREA OF THE FIREWALL. THE RUDDER WAS FOUND TOUCHING THE GROUND IN THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL, ALBEIT INVERTED.
LITTLE FUEL COULD BE DETECTED IN THE TANKS OR ON THE GROUND, AND VIRTUALLY NO SMELL EXISTED. HOWEVER, BLUE STAINING WAS NOTED NEAR THE FUEL TANKS AREA ON VISUAL OBSERVATION. THERE WAS NO FIRE.
AVIONICS AND ELECTRONICS WERE DAMAGED. FLAPS APPEARED TO BE UP, AND THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS SELECTED TO THE RIGHT TANK, ALTHOUGH NOT FULLY IN THE RIGHT DETENT.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED, WITH ALL CABLES (RUDDER), AND AILERON CONTROL RODS INTACT.
THE AIRCRAFT EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER (121.5) WAS NOT EMITTING AT THE TIME OF ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE.
THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST UNDERGONE AN ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION. TO DATE NO COPIES OF THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK CERT OR MEDICAL HAVE BEEN OBTAINED, AND THE WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.