20190117000259A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Ellensburg, WA · January 17, 2019

Date: January 17, 2019 · 16:43 local
Place: Ellensburg, WA
Airport: Bowers Field
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N14372
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR19LA066
Reported as: Piper PA-23-250
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,940 total5 in the last 90 days

N14372Registration cancelled May 22, 2019 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7304961 · Built 1972 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Ellensburg (keln) elevation 1763' MSL, reported METAR weather as: 13003KT 4SM br OVC014 02/00. N14372 departed rwy 29. Witness statement revealed that the pilot was departing for his home airport of ykm. No weather briefing was received from 800WXBRIEF. No flight plan was filed. Per FLIGHTRADAR24 track, N14372 departed and turned to the south while climbing directly to 5000 MSL. N14372 contacted chinook approach and stated that he was between layers and requested vectors to the ILS in ykm. Chinook approach issued squawk code and it was not read back by the pilot. No further radio contact was made. FLIGHTRADAR24 track showed aircraft descended at approximately 177KTS + from 5000' MSL to the end of the flight track. Aircraft appeared to have impacted the ground at high energy and approximately 75 degrees nose down. Both engines, propellors and all flight control surfaces were located in the crash debris field.

As the FAA filed it

ELLENSBURG (KELN) ELEVATION 1763' MSL, REPORTED METAR WEATHER AS: 13003KT 4SM BR OVC014 02/00. N14372 DEPARTED RWY 29. WITNESS STATEMENT REVEALED THAT THE PILOT WAS DEPARTING FOR HIS HOME AIRPORT OF YKM. NO WEATHER BRIEFING WAS RECEIVED FROM 800WXBRIEF. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. PER FLIGHTRADAR24 TRACK, N14372 DEPARTED AND TURNED TO THE SOUTH WHILE CLIMBING DIRECTLY TO 5000 MSL. N14372 CONTACTED CHINOOK APPROACH AND STATED THAT HE WAS BETWEEN LAYERS AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE ILS IN YKM. CHINOOK APPROACH ISSUED SQUAWK CODE AND IT WAS NOT READ BACK BY THE PILOT. NO FURTHER RADIO CONTACT WAS MADE. FLIGHTRADAR24 TRACK SHOWED AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AT APPROXIMATELY 177KTS + FROM 5000' MSL TO THE END OF THE FLIGHT TRACK. AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE IMPACTED THE GROUND AT HIGH ENERGY AND APPROXIMATELY 75 DEGREES NOSE DOWN. BOTH ENGINES, PROPELLORS AND ALL FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES WERE LOCATED IN THE CRASH DEBRIS FIELD.

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 WPR19LA066Accident · 1 fatalClass 2 · LimitedFinal reportEllensburg, WAThe instrument rated pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation.Jan 17, 2019 · Destroyed