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20181230021789A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-23 · Beaver Island, MI · December 30, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 30, 2018 · 19:48 local
Place
Beaver Island, MI
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2146P
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN19LA051
Reported as
Piper PA-23
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
5,480 total
N2146PRegistration cancelled Jul 23, 2020 · Piper PA-23S/N 23-748 · Built 1956Airframe modelPiper PA-23Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On December 30, 2018 at approximately 7:48 pm eastern standard time, a PA-23-180 aircraft, N2146P, registered to and operated by a private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain approximately 1/2 mile north of the Beaver Island airport (sjx) on Beaver Island, Michigan. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 without an active flight plan. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, received fatal injuries. The flight had just departed from runway 27 at the Beaver Island airport (sjx), approximately 7:48 pm local.

The aircraft was located in a heavily wooded area north of the departure runway. Photographs from the scene show the aircraft impacted trees and terrain in a steep descent. Additionally, the aircraft appears to have been in a significant right angle of bank, as photos depict the aircraft heading passed between two large, undamaged trees approximately 20 feet apart. The right wing appears to have first impacted the surface and subsequently the right engine and propeller were found separated from the aircraft. The remaining wreckage was located approximately 15 feet beyond the right engine. The total length of first impact with trees to the primary wreckage was approximately 200 feet long.

There were no reported eyewitnesses to the accident. However, sheriff deputies obtained statements from individuals who heard the aircraft takeoff and crash. One witness statement indicates both the pre-takeoff engine run up and takeoff sounded normal, but shortly after takeoff the witness noted a change in the engine?s pitch. The witness likened the sound to an increase in power, similar to sounds typical during pre-takeoff engine checks.

The weather report at ksjx airport at 0055Z was: wind 240 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, ceiling broken at 2,500 feet and overcast at 3,000 feet, temp -01, dew point -03, and altimeter 2992.

As of this date, no probable cause for this accident has been found.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 30, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 7:48 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PA-23-180 AIRCRAFT, N2146P, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT WITH TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE NORTH OF THE BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT (SJX) ON BEAVER ISLAND, MICHIGAN. MARGINAL VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT AN ACTIVE FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM RUNWAY 27 AT THE BEAVER ISLAND AIRPORT (SJX), APPROXIMATELY 7:48 PM LOCAL.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOCATED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA NORTH OF THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SCENE SHOW THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN IN A STEEP DESCENT. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN IN A SIGNIFICANT RIGHT ANGLE OF BANK, AS PHOTOS DEPICT THE AIRCRAFT HEADING PASSED BETWEEN TWO LARGE, UNDAMAGED TREES APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET APART. THE RIGHT WING APPEARS TO HAVE FIRST IMPACTED THE SURFACE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE RIGHT ENGINE AND PROPELLER WERE FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE REMAINING WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET BEYOND THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE TOTAL LENGTH OF FIRST IMPACT WITH TREES TO THE PRIMARY WRECKAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET LONG.

THERE WERE NO REPORTED EYEWITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. HOWEVER, SHERIFF DEPUTIES OBTAINED STATEMENTS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO HEARD THE AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF AND CRASH. ONE WITNESS STATEMENT INDICATES BOTH THE PRE-TAKEOFF ENGINE RUN UP AND TAKEOFF SOUNDED NORMAL, BUT SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE WITNESS NOTED A CHANGE IN THE ENGINE?S PITCH. THE WITNESS LIKENED THE SOUND TO AN INCREASE IN POWER, SIMILAR TO SOUNDS TYPICAL DURING PRE-TAKEOFF ENGINE CHECKS.

THE WEATHER REPORT AT KSJX AIRPORT AT 0055Z WAS: WIND 240 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS GUSTING TO 15 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CEILING BROKEN AT 2,500 FEET AND OVERCAST AT 3,000 FEET, TEMP -01, DEW POINT -03, AND ALTIMETER 2992.

AS OF THIS DATE, NO PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THIS ACCIDENT HAS BEEN FOUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN19LA051Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBeaver Island, MIThe pilot's failure to maintain a positive rate of climb after takeoff which resulted in an impact with trees and terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inability to see a visible horizon due to the dark night lighting conditions and limited…Dec 31, 2018 · Destroyed

Other reports on N2146P · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19890326024079ILevel Off Touchdown · Limington, MEVeered off runway when nose gear touched down.Mar 26, 1989 · Minor damage