What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 29, 2016, at 0105PDT, N661TC a Piper PA-31T cheyenne ii airplane, operated by cal-ore life flight, LLC. Was destroyed following a report of smoke in the cockpit, loss of control, inflight break up and ground impact, 6.16 miles from arcata/eureka airport, Mckinleyville, CA. The pilot, 2 medical techs and 1 patient were fatally injured in the accident.
All four corners of the aircraft and the majority of the wreckage, was found in 9 separate areas scattered across .35 miles of steep, heavily forested terrain. The wreckage in each section appears to have fallen near vertical between trees to their final resting positions. The lack of impact damage to the wreckage and size of the debris field is evidence to a low altitude inflight breakup.
The engines, pratt and whitney PT6A-135, separated from their perspective wings and show no evidence of inflight or post-crash fire. Both wings separated into two sections (inboard and outboard) and were free of any leading edge impact damage. Inboard wing sections with flap and landing gear in the retracted position exhibited extensive thermal damage from post-crsh fire. The vertical stabilizer separated from the empennage, with evidence of sooting consistent with an inflight fire. The left aileron, rudder, left horizontal stabilizer and both elevators separated from their structure and were not recovered.
The main fuselage tube was substantially intact missing wings, wing carry through structure and tail. The left side,cockpit area was damaged from impact with a tree but the aft fuselage and empennage were largely intact. There was no post-crash fire at the fuselage site. An even coating of light soot covered the entire fuselage exterior skin but no sign of thermal damage to the exterior paint.
Interior thermal damage to the fuselage was limited to the floor area between the two cockpit seats near the high voltage circuit breaker panel mounted on the floor. The heat signature extended aft to the forward edge of the wing spar carry through structure where the wings separated. Due to the wing separation, impact damage and fire, the origin and fuel to sustain the fire remains under investigation. Thermal damage evidence is being reviewed by a NTSB fire and explosive specialist.
All 4 bodies were found fatally injured inside the fuselage. The medical examiners report indicates the pilot died as a result of extensive blunt force trama. Toxicology detected nothing that would pose a hazard to flight safety. The pilot's right hand and leg showed signs of thermal/heat injury to skin . The fire extinguisher was found secured in its mount and full.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 29, 2016, AT 0105PDT, N661TC A PIPER PA-31T CHEYENNE II AIRPLANE, OPERATED BY CAL-ORE LIFE FLIGHT, LLC. WAS DESTROYED FOLLOWING A REPORT OF SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, LOSS OF CONTROL, INFLIGHT BREAK UP AND GROUND IMPACT, 6.16 MILES FROM ARCATA/EUREKA AIRPORT, MCKINLEYVILLE, CA. THE PILOT, 2 MEDICAL TECHS AND 1 PATIENT WERE FATALLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT.
ALL FOUR CORNERS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE MAJORITY OF THE WRECKAGE, WAS FOUND IN 9 SEPARATE AREAS SCATTERED ACROSS .35 MILES OF STEEP, HEAVILY FORESTED TERRAIN. THE WRECKAGE IN EACH SECTION APPEARS TO HAVE FALLEN NEAR VERTICAL BETWEEN TREES TO THEIR FINAL RESTING POSITIONS. THE LACK OF IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE WRECKAGE AND SIZE OF THE DEBRIS FIELD IS EVIDENCE TO A LOW ALTITUDE INFLIGHT BREAKUP.
THE ENGINES, PRATT AND WHITNEY PT6A-135, SEPARATED FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE WINGS AND SHOW NO EVIDENCE OF INFLIGHT OR POST-CRASH FIRE. BOTH WINGS SEPARATED INTO TWO SECTIONS (INBOARD AND OUTBOARD) AND WERE FREE OF ANY LEADING EDGE IMPACT DAMAGE. INBOARD WING SECTIONS WITH FLAP AND LANDING GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POSITION EXHIBITED EXTENSIVE THERMAL DAMAGE FROM POST-CRSH FIRE. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER SEPARATED FROM THE EMPENNAGE, WITH EVIDENCE OF SOOTING CONSISTENT WITH AN INFLIGHT FIRE. THE LEFT AILERON, RUDDER, LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND BOTH ELEVATORS SEPARATED FROM THEIR STRUCTURE AND WERE NOT RECOVERED.
THE MAIN FUSELAGE TUBE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT MISSING WINGS, WING CARRY THROUGH STRUCTURE AND TAIL. THE LEFT SIDE,COCKPIT AREA WAS DAMAGED FROM IMPACT WITH A TREE BUT THE AFT FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE WERE LARGELY INTACT. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE AT THE FUSELAGE SITE. AN EVEN COATING OF LIGHT SOOT COVERED THE ENTIRE FUSELAGE EXTERIOR SKIN BUT NO SIGN OF THERMAL DAMAGE TO THE EXTERIOR PAINT.
INTERIOR THERMAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE FLOOR AREA BETWEEN THE TWO COCKPIT SEATS NEAR THE HIGH VOLTAGE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL MOUNTED ON THE FLOOR. THE HEAT SIGNATURE EXTENDED AFT TO THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE WING SPAR CARRY THROUGH STRUCTURE WHERE THE WINGS SEPARATED. DUE TO THE WING SEPARATION, IMPACT DAMAGE AND FIRE, THE ORIGIN AND FUEL TO SUSTAIN THE FIRE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION. THERMAL DAMAGE EVIDENCE IS BEING REVIEWED BY A NTSB FIRE AND EXPLOSIVE SPECIALIST.
ALL 4 BODIES WERE FOUND FATALLY INJURED INSIDE THE FUSELAGE. THE MEDICAL EXAMINERS REPORT INDICATES THE PILOT DIED AS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE BLUNT FORCE TRAMA. TOXICOLOGY DETECTED NOTHING THAT WOULD POSE A HAZARD TO FLIGHT SAFETY. THE PILOT'S RIGHT HAND AND LEG SHOWED SIGNS OF THERMAL/HEAT INJURY TO SKIN . THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER WAS FOUND SECURED IN ITS MOUNT AND FULL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.