What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 16, 2016 at approximately 11:20 am eastern standard time, a Piper PA-38-112 was destroyed following a collision with a high intensity power line and pole following a departure from runway 21 at the Madison municipal airport (kims) located in Madison, Indiana. The private pilot was the sole occupant of the aircraft and was fatally injured. The aircraft was registered to the pilot and was operated by the pilot/owner under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no type of flight plan was filed. The purpose of the flight is believed to have been for practice in the local area.
According to local witnesses, the pilot purchased 12.2 gallons of fuel just prior to takeoff, departed runway 21 at the Madison municipal airport to conduct some takeoffs and landings. At 11:20 am a witness driving north on grangehall road observed the aircraft in a left turn, turning back to the southwest. The bank angle continued to increase before dropping below a tree line briefly out of the view of the witness. As he passed the tree line, black smoke was observed and a 911 call was made at 11:21 am. Due to the fire he could not approach the aircraft.
Observation at the scene showed the aircraft made contact with a wooden utility pole owned by duke energy. The aircraft rotated and struck a high intensity power line before striking the ground at a high angle of attack. The aircraft came to rest on a southerly heading and was consumed by fire.
According to preliminary information, the pilot had purchased the accident aircraft in September of 2015. He attempted to pass a flight review on November 14, 2015 and again on March 14, 2016. Prior to these attempts it had been ten plus years since he had flown. Both attempts at the flight review were unsuccessful with a local instructor. The instructor stated that the pilot had problems with airspeed control, coordination, pitch control, flaring, and directional control while operating in the traffic pattern. He was told that he probably needed five to ten hours of instruction in order to satisfy the flight review. Shortly after the flight on March 14, 2016 the pilot spoke with the local instructor stating that he was unsatisfied that he was not signed off and that he was going to fly anyway. He was told by the instructor that the flights would be illegal and that insurance would be void. No further instruction was received from this instructor.
The NTSB, representatives from Piper aircraft and Lycoming engines also participated in this investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 16, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:20 AM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-38-112 WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A COLLISION WITH A HIGH INTENSITY POWER LINE AND POLE FOLLOWING A DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 21 AT THE MADISON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KIMS) LOCATED IN MADISON, INDIANA. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO THE PILOT AND WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT/OWNER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO TYPE OF FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN FOR PRACTICE IN THE LOCAL AREA.
ACCORDING TO LOCAL WITNESSES, THE PILOT PURCHASED 12.2 GALLONS OF FUEL JUST PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, DEPARTED RUNWAY 21 AT THE MADISON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO CONDUCT SOME TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. AT 11:20 AM A WITNESS DRIVING NORTH ON GRANGEHALL ROAD OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A LEFT TURN, TURNING BACK TO THE SOUTHWEST. THE BANK ANGLE CONTINUED TO INCREASE BEFORE DROPPING BELOW A TREE LINE BRIEFLY OUT OF THE VIEW OF THE WITNESS. AS HE PASSED THE TREE LINE, BLACK SMOKE WAS OBSERVED AND A 911 CALL WAS MADE AT 11:21 AM. DUE TO THE FIRE HE COULD NOT APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT.
OBSERVATION AT THE SCENE SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH A WOODEN UTILITY POLE OWNED BY DUKE ENERGY. THE AIRCRAFT ROTATED AND STRUCK A HIGH INTENSITY POWER LINE BEFORE STRIKING THE GROUND AT A HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING AND WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.
ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, THE PILOT HAD PURCHASED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT IN SEPTEMBER OF 2015. HE ATTEMPTED TO PASS A FLIGHT REVIEW ON NOVEMBER 14, 2015 AND AGAIN ON MARCH 14, 2016. PRIOR TO THESE ATTEMPTS IT HAD BEEN TEN PLUS YEARS SINCE HE HAD FLOWN. BOTH ATTEMPTS AT THE FLIGHT REVIEW WERE UNSUCCESSFUL WITH A LOCAL INSTRUCTOR. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE PILOT HAD PROBLEMS WITH AIRSPEED CONTROL, COORDINATION, PITCH CONTROL, FLARING, AND DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE OPERATING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE WAS TOLD THAT HE PROBABLY NEEDED FIVE TO TEN HOURS OF INSTRUCTION IN ORDER TO SATISFY THE FLIGHT REVIEW. SHORTLY AFTER THE FLIGHT ON MARCH 14, 2016 THE PILOT SPOKE WITH THE LOCAL INSTRUCTOR STATING THAT HE WAS UNSATISFIED THAT HE WAS NOT SIGNED OFF AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO FLY ANYWAY. HE WAS TOLD BY THE INSTRUCTOR THAT THE FLIGHTS WOULD BE ILLEGAL AND THAT INSURANCE WOULD BE VOID. NO FURTHER INSTRUCTION WAS RECEIVED FROM THIS INSTRUCTOR.
THE NTSB, REPRESENTATIVES FROM PIPER AIRCRAFT AND LYCOMING ENGINES ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THIS INVESTIGATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.