What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 31, 2020, about 1330 central daylight time, a Piper PA28-180, N6461J, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Pineville, Louisiana. The private pilot and 1 passenger were fatally injured and 1 passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was being operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 personal flight.
One witness, who was a certified flight instructor (CFI), reported that he saw the airplane takeoff from runway 36 at Pineville Municipal Airport (2L0). He stated that the airplane struggled to climb to clear the trees at the end of the runway. The airplane then made a hard left turn, about 400 feet AGL, to the west. The airplane then banked to the east with wings vertical in an "apparent stall/spin situation." The airplane then descended below the tree line.
Another cfi-rated witness reported that he saw the airplane takeoff from runway 36 at 2L0. He stated that the airplane as "struggling" to climb. When the airplane was about 400 feet AGL, he saw the airplane make a left turn with about a 60° to 75° bank angle. The airplane then entered a heading of about 270°, holding a very steep bank angle, then continued the left bank to a easterly heading and disappeared behind the tree line. Both CFI witnesses were located at 2L0.
A third pilot-rated witness, who was driving along an adjacent road to 2L0, stated that he saw the airplane in a climb pitch attitude just after departure from 2L0. About 5 seconds later, he saw the airplane roll into an increasingly steep bank, about 200 to 300 feet AGL, and subsequently "enter an accelerated stall." The nose of the airplane then fell into a pitch down attitude and the airplane descended out of sight below a tree line.
There were no radio or distress calls heard from the pilot. The accident site was located in a heavily wooded area, about 1.5 miles from the departure end of runway 36 at 2L0. Local authorities rescued the surviving passenger and secured the accident site. After initial on-site examinations, the airplane wreckage was transported to a secure facility for further examinations. Representatives from Lycoming will assist with a complete engine analysis at a later date.
Waiting on autopsy report for pilot.
This report will be amended once the engine teardown report and toxicology reports are completed.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 31, 2020, ABOUT 1330 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA28-180, N6461J, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR PINEVILLE, LOUISIANA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND 1 PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED AND 1 PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
ONE WITNESS, WHO WAS A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), REPORTED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 36 AT PINEVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (2L0). HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE STRUGGLED TO CLIMB TO CLEAR THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN MADE A HARD LEFT TURN, ABOUT 400 FEET AGL, TO THE WEST. THE AIRPLANE THEN BANKED TO THE EAST WITH WINGS VERTICAL IN AN "APPARENT STALL/SPIN SITUATION." THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED BELOW THE TREE LINE.
ANOTHER CFI-RATED WITNESS REPORTED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 36 AT 2L0. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE AS "STRUGGLING" TO CLIMB. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 400 FEET AGL, HE SAW THE AIRPLANE MAKE A LEFT TURN WITH ABOUT A 60° TO 75° BANK ANGLE. THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A HEADING OF ABOUT 270°, HOLDING A VERY STEEP BANK ANGLE, THEN CONTINUED THE LEFT BANK TO A EASTERLY HEADING AND DISAPPEARED BEHIND THE TREE LINE. BOTH CFI WITNESSES WERE LOCATED AT 2L0.
A THIRD PILOT-RATED WITNESS, WHO WAS DRIVING ALONG AN ADJACENT ROAD TO 2L0, STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE IN A CLIMB PITCH ATTITUDE JUST AFTER DEPARTURE FROM 2L0. ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER, HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ROLL INTO AN INCREASINGLY STEEP BANK, ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET AGL, AND SUBSEQUENTLY "ENTER AN ACCELERATED STALL." THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE THEN FELL INTO A PITCH DOWN ATTITUDE AND THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED OUT OF SIGHT BELOW A TREE LINE.
THERE WERE NO RADIO OR DISTRESS CALLS HEARD FROM THE PILOT. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA, ABOUT 1.5 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 36 AT 2L0. LOCAL AUTHORITIES RESCUED THE SURVIVING PASSENGER AND SECURED THE ACCIDENT SITE. AFTER INITIAL ON-SITE EXAMINATIONS, THE AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A SECURE FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATIONS. REPRESENTATIVES FROM LYCOMING WILL ASSIST WITH A COMPLETE ENGINE ANALYSIS AT A LATER DATE.
WAITING ON AUTOPSY REPORT FOR PILOT.
THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED ONCE THE ENGINE TEARDOWN REPORT AND TOXICOLOGY REPORTS ARE COMPLETED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.