# Accident 20190209010069A: Piper Aircraft Inc PA46-500TP, Vero Beach, FL, February 9, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 9, 2019, 12:10 local time
- Place: Vero Beach, FL
- Airport: Vero Beach
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.6556° N, 80.4180° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VERO BEACH RGNL (VRB), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.6556&lon=-80.4180&mi=10
- Aircraft: N403MM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N403MM-2022-08-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA46-500TP (registry code 7104623, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa46-500tp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-52 (registry code 52200, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-52) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA46-500TP
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-42A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 10,800 total, 613 in this make and model, 44 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190209010069A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON FEBRUARY 9, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 12.10 LOCAL TIME, THE PILOT OF N403MM, A PIPER 46-500TP SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANE, EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE LOSS, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE AND FIRE AFTER AIRCRAFT TESTING. DURING THE TESTFLIGHT THE PILOT OF N403MM LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WHILE EXECUTING VARIOUS DEVELOPMENTAL SIDESLIPS AS ASSIGNED BY ENGINEERS FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND UNDER THE OBSERVATION OF A CHASE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRPLANE ENTERED AN INVERTED SPIN, WHICH REQUIRED THE PILOT TO DEPLOY THE SPIN CHUTE TO RECOVER. NORMAL FLIGHT WAS RESUMED AND WHILE THE AIRPLANE RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT OBSERVED LOW OIL PRESSURE AND HIGH OIL TEMPERATURE. THE CREW OF THE CHASE AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AFTER COMMUNICATING WITH THE TEST PILOT. WHILE SPIRALING DOWN OVERHEAD OF VERO BEACH, THE PILOT NOTICED UNSUAL ENGINE NOISE, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE, FIRE AND COMPLETE ENGINE LOSS. THE PILOT SUCCESSFULLY LANDED THE AIRPLANE WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE ON RUNWAY 04 AT THE VERO BEACH AIRPORT, FLORIDA, AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT ON TAXIWAY C. THE FIRE CREW EXTINGUISHED THE ENGINE FIRE.  THE ENGINE AND ITS COMPONENTS WERE DESTROYED DUE TO THE FIRE. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED NO INJURIES. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE WILL REVEAL THE EXTENT OF STRUCTURAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGE, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY NEGATIVE G-FORCES THE AIRPLANE WAS EXPOSED TO DURING THE INVERTED SPIN.  VMC CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WITH THE WINDS FROM 350 DEGREES AT 10 KNOTS AND THE VISIBILITY AT LEAST 10 STATUTE MILES.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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