What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Note: purdue airport in west lafayette operates on eastern time. Jasper County Airport operates on central time. The duration of the flight was about a half hour.
At approximately 7:07AM (EDT) (11:07Z) a 2005 PA-32R-301T Piper saratoga serial number 3257383, N599ST departed from (klaf) lafayette, Indiana with the sole occupant being the pilot. The airplane was equipped with dual avidyne ifd 440 GPS receivers and an avidyne integra EX5000 moving map display.
The purpose of the flight was to fly to (krzl) Jasper County Airport in Rensselaer, Indiana, IN order to pick up a single passenger, and continue flying to hilton head, south carolina.
The pilot filed an instrument flight plan, received an instrument clearance from purdue university tower (laf) and departed klaf. The private pilot was not instrument rated. The flight continued to jitvi waypoint, made a course reversal and continued inbound on the RNAV runway 18 at Jasper County Airport.
The weather at krzl was ¾ mile visibility, with a 200 foot overcast ceiling. The lowest minimum on the krzl RNAV 18 is 250 feet and 1 mile visibility using LPV minima. Radar and ADS-B data show the aircraft on the runway 18 approach flying south until the runway threshold and then beginning a left turn to the east before contact was lost.
The aircraft impacted the ground 4,000 feet east of runway 18. The main fuselage of the wreckage came to rest 300 feet northeast of the initial impact. The aircraft propeller signatures indicated that power was being produced prior to impact with ground. A witness heard the aircraft fly overhead stated that the aircraft sounded as if it was under power prior to the impact.
Flight control continuity was verified with the rudder, elevator, and right wing aileron. The left wing was severed from the aircraft. The left wing rested 15 feet to the right of the main wreckage. The right wing was folded underneath the fuselage, and rested on the left side of the main wreckage. The rudder and elevator were damaged but intact. These controls were still attached to the fuselage. The aircraft engine was fully intact and attached to the engine mounts. The right and left main landing gear were severed from the struts and rested 30 and 62 feet south west of the main wreckage. Both main landing gear doors, as well as the nose gear doors were found south west of the main wreckage. The nose gear assembly was attached to the fuselage. There was a severe post-crash fire, indicating that fuel was onboard the aircraft prior to impact with the ground. The main wreckage rested approximately 350 yards north of a subdivision in a cornfield. The debris path covered approximately 300 feet from the initial ground impact.
On March 13, 2020, the FAA flight inspection team checked the RNAV 18 approach at rzl. They found no anomalies.
As the FAA filed it
NOTE: PURDUE AIRPORT IN WEST LAFAYETTE OPERATES ON EASTERN TIME. JASPER COUNTY AIRPORT OPERATES ON CENTRAL TIME. THE DURATION OF THE FLIGHT WAS ABOUT A HALF HOUR.
AT APPROXIMATELY 7:07AM (EDT) (11:07Z) A 2005 PA-32R-301T PIPER SARATOGA SERIAL NUMBER 3257383, N599ST DEPARTED FROM (KLAF) LAFAYETTE, INDIANA WITH THE SOLE OCCUPANT BEING THE PILOT. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL AVIDYNE IFD 440 GPS RECEIVERS AND AN AVIDYNE INTEGRA EX5000 MOVING MAP DISPLAY.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO FLY TO (KRZL) JASPER COUNTY AIRPORT IN RENSSELAER, INDIANA, IN ORDER TO PICK UP A SINGLE PASSENGER, AND CONTINUE FLYING TO HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA.
THE PILOT FILED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN, RECEIVED AN INSTRUMENT CLEARANCE FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY TOWER (LAF) AND DEPARTED KLAF. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO JITVI WAYPOINT, MADE A COURSE REVERSAL AND CONTINUED INBOUND ON THE RNAV RUNWAY 18 AT JASPER COUNTY AIRPORT.
THE WEATHER AT KRZL WAS ¾ MILE VISIBILITY, WITH A 200 FOOT OVERCAST CEILING. THE LOWEST MINIMUM ON THE KRZL RNAV 18 IS 250 FEET AND 1 MILE VISIBILITY USING LPV MINIMA. RADAR AND ADS-B DATA SHOW THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY 18 APPROACH FLYING SOUTH UNTIL THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND THEN BEGINNING A LEFT TURN TO THE EAST BEFORE CONTACT WAS LOST.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND 4,000 FEET EAST OF RUNWAY 18. THE MAIN FUSELAGE OF THE WRECKAGE CAME TO REST 300 FEET NORTHEAST OF THE INITIAL IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT PROPELLER SIGNATURES INDICATED THAT POWER WAS BEING PRODUCED PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH GROUND. A WITNESS HEARD THE AIRCRAFT FLY OVERHEAD STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS UNDER POWER PRIOR TO THE IMPACT.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS VERIFIED WITH THE RUDDER, ELEVATOR, AND RIGHT WING AILERON. THE LEFT WING WAS SEVERED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT WING RESTED 15 FEET TO THE RIGHT OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE RIGHT WING WAS FOLDED UNDERNEATH THE FUSELAGE, AND RESTED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE RUDDER AND ELEVATOR WERE DAMAGED BUT INTACT. THESE CONTROLS WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS FULLY INTACT AND ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE MOUNTS. THE RIGHT AND LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WERE SEVERED FROM THE STRUTS AND RESTED 30 AND 62 FEET SOUTH WEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. BOTH MAIN LANDING GEAR DOORS, AS WELL AS THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE FOUND SOUTH WEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY WAS ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. THERE WAS A SEVERE POST-CRASH FIRE, INDICATING THAT FUEL WAS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE MAIN WRECKAGE RESTED APPROXIMATELY 350 YARDS NORTH OF A SUBDIVISION IN A CORNFIELD. THE DEBRIS PATH COVERED APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FROM THE INITIAL GROUND IMPACT.
ON MARCH 13, 2020, THE FAA FLIGHT INSPECTION TEAM CHECKED THE RNAV 18 APPROACH AT RZL. THEY FOUND NO ANOMALIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.