What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Friday, April 7, 2017, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered as N123SB, serial number 46-8508023, was involved in an accident approximately 1.5 statue miles northwest of Harrisburg, Oregon. The accident resulted in the aircraft being destroyed and the fatalities of all four aircraft occupants.
The flight originated from van nuys airport (kvny) in van nuys, California, and was destined for mahlon sweet field airport (keug) in eugene, Oregon. The aircraft is registered to park city aviation LLC located at 1765 sidewinder drive, park city, Utah 84060. The pilot filed an IFR flight plan and received a weather briefing electronically prior to departure.
Based on preliminary and available data at the time, the following was observed:
At 17:02:32 UTC, N123SB indicated: altitude 13,900 feet, heading 338 degrees, groundspeed 208 knots.
-Appeared crossing the California and Oregon border.
At 17:42:36 UTC, N123SB indicated: altitude 3,900 feet, heading 358 degrees, groundspeed 161 knots.
-Appeared passing abeam keug on the east side of the airport, continuing northbound.
At 17:46:54 UTC, N123SB indicated: altitude 1,900 feet, heading 300 degrees, groundspeed 94 knots.
-Appeared to turn left base to for the final approach course to runway 16L.
At 17:47:18 UTC, N123SB indicated: altitude 1,900 feet, heading 281 degrees, groundspeed 71 knots.
-Appeared continuing on the left base for runway 16L, groundspeed decreasing.
At 17:47:37 UTC, N123SB indicated: altitude 1,900 feet, heading 275 degrees, groundspeed 57 knots.
-Appeared continuing on the left base for runway 16L, groundspeed decreasing.
At 17:47:56 UTC, N123SB indicated: altitude 1,800 feet, heading 185 degrees, groundspeed 33 knots.
-Appeared to be turning to intercept the localizer for runway 16L, grounspeed decreasing.
At 17:48:00 UTC, N123SB indicated: altitude 1,300 feet, heading 065 degrees, groundspeed 96 knots.
-Altitude 500 feet lower than previous altitude of 1800 feet, heading 120 degrees left of the previous heading of 185 degrees, and groundspeed 63 knots greater.
Weather reported at keug on April 7, 2017 at 09:54 local time (16:54 zulu), approximately 54 mintues before the accident.
METAR keug 071654Z 18025G35KT 10SM SCT025 BKN033 OVC041 09/06 A2946 rmk AO2 pk wnd 18035/1652 RAE1556B12E35 SLP977 P0000 T00890061
Weather reported at keug on April 7, 2017 at 10:54 local time (17:54 zulu), approximately 6 mintues after the accident.
METAR keug 071754Z 20018G26KT 7SM -ra FEW024 OVC035 08/07 A2951 rmk AO2 pk wnd 18035/1706 RAB1656 SLP992 P0011 6//// T00830067 51046 $
Air traffic control issued weather adivsories to N123SB in the terminal area. These included advisories of ?moderate to heavy precipiation? And ?heavy to extreme precipitaiton.? N123SB reported on one occasion that they were experienceing ?heavy precipitation.?
The aircraft initally impacted ground at 44°17'40.60"n / 123°11'00.00"w. the aircraft came to rest at 44°17'41.53"n / 123°11'00.35"w. approxmiately 96 feet from its intial impact point.
Ground scarring indicated the aircraft impacted the ground in a level attitude with the landing gear in the down position. The left and right main landing gear along with the left and right wing ailerons separated at the initial impact point. The impact forces caused severe damage to the wings and fuselage. The tail of the aircraft separated just aft of the pressure bulkhead. The aircraft?s engine sustained damage and the propleler was still attached.
As the FAA filed it
ON FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017, A PIPER PA-46-310P, REGISTERED AS N123SB, SERIAL NUMBER 46-8508023, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT APPROXIMATELY 1.5 STATUE MILES NORTHWEST OF HARRISBURG, OREGON. THE ACCIDENT RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT BEING DESTROYED AND THE FATALITIES OF ALL FOUR AIRCRAFT OCCUPANTS.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM VAN NUYS AIRPORT (KVNY) IN VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA, AND WAS DESTINED FOR MAHLON SWEET FIELD AIRPORT (KEUG) IN EUGENE, OREGON. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO PARK CITY AVIATION LLC LOCATED AT 1765 SIDEWINDER DRIVE, PARK CITY, UTAH 84060. THE PILOT FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN AND RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING ELECTRONICALLY PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
BASED ON PRELIMINARY AND AVAILABLE DATA AT THE TIME, THE FOLLOWING WAS OBSERVED:
AT 17:02:32 UTC, N123SB INDICATED: ALTITUDE 13,900 FEET, HEADING 338 DEGREES, GROUNDSPEED 208 KNOTS.
-APPEARED CROSSING THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON BORDER.
AT 17:42:36 UTC, N123SB INDICATED: ALTITUDE 3,900 FEET, HEADING 358 DEGREES, GROUNDSPEED 161 KNOTS.
-APPEARED PASSING ABEAM KEUG ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT, CONTINUING NORTHBOUND.
AT 17:46:54 UTC, N123SB INDICATED: ALTITUDE 1,900 FEET, HEADING 300 DEGREES, GROUNDSPEED 94 KNOTS.
-APPEARED TO TURN LEFT BASE TO FOR THE FINAL APPROACH COURSE TO RUNWAY 16L.
AT 17:47:18 UTC, N123SB INDICATED: ALTITUDE 1,900 FEET, HEADING 281 DEGREES, GROUNDSPEED 71 KNOTS.
-APPEARED CONTINUING ON THE LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 16L, GROUNDSPEED DECREASING.
AT 17:47:37 UTC, N123SB INDICATED: ALTITUDE 1,900 FEET, HEADING 275 DEGREES, GROUNDSPEED 57 KNOTS.
-APPEARED CONTINUING ON THE LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 16L, GROUNDSPEED DECREASING.
AT 17:47:56 UTC, N123SB INDICATED: ALTITUDE 1,800 FEET, HEADING 185 DEGREES, GROUNDSPEED 33 KNOTS.
-APPEARED TO BE TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE LOCALIZER FOR RUNWAY 16L, GROUNSPEED DECREASING.
AT 17:48:00 UTC, N123SB INDICATED: ALTITUDE 1,300 FEET, HEADING 065 DEGREES, GROUNDSPEED 96 KNOTS.
-ALTITUDE 500 FEET LOWER THAN PREVIOUS ALTITUDE OF 1800 FEET, HEADING 120 DEGREES LEFT OF THE PREVIOUS HEADING OF 185 DEGREES, AND GROUNDSPEED 63 KNOTS GREATER.
WEATHER REPORTED AT KEUG ON APRIL 7, 2017 AT 09:54 LOCAL TIME (16:54 ZULU), APPROXIMATELY 54 MINTUES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.
METAR KEUG 071654Z 18025G35KT 10SM SCT025 BKN033 OVC041 09/06 A2946 RMK AO2 PK WND 18035/1652 RAE1556B12E35 SLP977 P0000 T00890061
WEATHER REPORTED AT KEUG ON APRIL 7, 2017 AT 10:54 LOCAL TIME (17:54 ZULU), APPROXIMATELY 6 MINTUES AFTER THE ACCIDENT.
METAR KEUG 071754Z 20018G26KT 7SM -RA FEW024 OVC035 08/07 A2951 RMK AO2 PK WND 18035/1706 RAB1656 SLP992 P0011 6//// T00830067 51046 $
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ISSUED WEATHER ADIVSORIES TO N123SB IN THE TERMINAL AREA. THESE INCLUDED ADVISORIES OF ?MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPIATION? AND ?HEAVY TO EXTREME PRECIPITAITON.? N123SB REPORTED ON ONE OCCASION THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCEING ?HEAVY PRECIPITATION.?
THE AIRCRAFT INITALLY IMPACTED GROUND AT 44°17'40.60"N / 123°11'00.00"W. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT 44°17'41.53"N / 123°11'00.35"W. APPROXMIATELY 96 FEET FROM ITS INTIAL IMPACT POINT.
GROUND SCARRING INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR ALONG WITH THE LEFT AND RIGHT WING AILERONS SEPARATED AT THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE IMPACT FORCES CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT SEPARATED JUST AFT OF THE PRESSURE BULKHEAD. THE AIRCRAFT?S ENGINE SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND THE PROPLELER WAS STILL ATTACHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.