What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 8, 2016, at 16:15 central daylight time, a Piper pa- 32R-300, N32KK crashed on a wooded area ¼ mile east of West Houston Airport (iws). The private pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries when the aircraft impacted a tree and burned. Witnesses reported that the forward baggage door was fully open and held vertically up by air flow during the takeoff. Witnesses indicated airplane climb straight ahead briefly and achieved approximately 300 ft. above ground level. The aircraft then initiated a left upwind to crosswind turn at which point it appeared the aircraft quit climbing. The subject aircraft continued to turn to downwind at which point witnesses noticed some slight yawing then the aircraft appeared loose altitude. The aircraft then decelerated while still in the turn. The subject aircraft was left wing low and bank angle increasing as it disappeared behind the tree line. Approximately 1-2 seconds after it disappeared from sight and they heard the crash and explosion followed by an intense thick column of black smoke. Examination of the scene revealed the aircraft main wreckage mostly consumed by fire resting on the ground next to a snapped tree. The tail section did not burn. The engine with the firewall and instrument panel was found separated about 60 feet from the fuselage. The forward baggage door departed the fuselage and found with minimum damage. The latch was open and the door lock was unlocked. The latch catch at the door frame wasn?t damage. Flight controls cables continuity was difficult to determine due to the extent of the damage caused by the impact and the fire. Investigators from the national transportation safety board, the aircraft, and the engine manufacturers participated with the on-scene examination and investigation.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 8, 2016, AT 16:15 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA- 32R-300, N32KK CRASHED ON A WOODED AREA ¼ MILE EAST OF WEST HOUSTON AIRPORT (IWS). THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE AND BURNED. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE FORWARD BAGGAGE DOOR WAS FULLY OPEN AND HELD VERTICALLY UP BY AIR FLOW DURING THE TAKEOFF. WITNESSES INDICATED AIRPLANE CLIMB STRAIGHT AHEAD BRIEFLY AND ACHIEVED APPROXIMATELY 300 FT. ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN INITIATED A LEFT UPWIND TO CROSSWIND TURN AT WHICH POINT IT APPEARED THE AIRCRAFT QUIT CLIMBING. THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN TO DOWNWIND AT WHICH POINT WITNESSES NOTICED SOME SLIGHT YAWING THEN THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED LOOSE ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DECELERATED WHILE STILL IN THE TURN. THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS LEFT WING LOW AND BANK ANGLE INCREASING AS IT DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE TREE LINE. APPROXIMATELY 1-2 SECONDS AFTER IT DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT AND THEY HEARD THE CRASH AND EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY AN INTENSE THICK COLUMN OF BLACK SMOKE. EXAMINATION OF THE SCENE REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT MAIN WRECKAGE MOSTLY CONSUMED BY FIRE RESTING ON THE GROUND NEXT TO A SNAPPED TREE. THE TAIL SECTION DID NOT BURN. THE ENGINE WITH THE FIREWALL AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FOUND SEPARATED ABOUT 60 FEET FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE FORWARD BAGGAGE DOOR DEPARTED THE FUSELAGE AND FOUND WITH MINIMUM DAMAGE. THE LATCH WAS OPEN AND THE DOOR LOCK WAS UNLOCKED. THE LATCH CATCH AT THE DOOR FRAME WASN?T DAMAGE. FLIGHT CONTROLS CABLES CONTINUITY WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE IMPACT AND THE FIRE. INVESTIGATORS FROM THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, THE AIRCRAFT, AND THE ENGINE MANUFACTURERS PARTICIPATED WITH THE ON-SCENE EXAMINATION AND 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.