20210423019599A

On Friday April 23, 2021 N461DK, a Piper PA-46-310P was involved in a fatal in-flight break-up in the vicinity of Danville, AR.

N461DK departed muskogee, ok (mko) at 21:22Z on an IFR flight to williston, FL (X60). On board the aircraft were four occupants. A cfi-i rated airman acting as pilot-in-command with a private pilot rated passenger in the co-pilot seat along with two passengers in the cabin. At approximately 21:58Z N461DK, while climbing through 20,650? MSL, entered a slow right hand descending turn which developed in to a tightening right hand spiral. Shortly after entering the spiral the 8? Of the outboard right wing failed and separated from the airframe. During separation, the right wing impacted the right horizontal and vertical stabilizer surfaces removing the right horizontal from the airframe. The last radar returned at 22:00Z showed the aircraft in a descending spin at 3000? MSL. Eye witnesses state that the aircraft appear out of the low cloud deck inverted while in a tight spin described as a winged duck.

The aircraft wreckage was found on the north side of a ridgeline in a heavily forested location approximately 500? Above the surrounding valley. The airframe was found mostly intact and inverted laying along the right side of the fuselage. The fuselage was wedged and bent at approximately 45 degrees against a debarked pine tree which acted as a break to arrest the in-flight spinning of the aircraft. The right wing and right horizontal were not found among the wreckage. The two propeller blades were found with minimal to no damage and two blades were found broken at the root from impact related forces. The left wing was also noted by recovery teams to still have a mostly full left fuel tank. On scene investigation was limited due to airframe positioning, rugged terrain of the impact site, and biological contamination of the cabin. Primary radar returns show the right horizontal and right wing to be located within a mile circle of the impact site but were not found.

A full investigation and aircraft layout were completed in November 2021 in clinton, AR at the storage location with NTSB and Piper representatives.

The aircraft was found to be at minimum approximately 565LBS over the max gross weight limitation. Personal property and baggage were located and weighed as 21LBS of nose baggage, 53LBS of cabin baggage and property, and 88LBS of rear baggage. The aircraft additionally had a fuel cap STC that increased total fuel by 20 gallons. This increase was not noted in the AFM limitation or weight and balance sections.

The airframe was found to have control continuity for all control surfaces and wires except the right wing. The right wing control cables are missing from the wing root outboard due to the in-flight separation of the outboard wing. Right wing showed multiple in-flight failures consistent with instantaneous overload. Vertical stabilizer showed paint transfer consistent with the right wing or right horizontal making contact after separation. Vertical stabilizer also showed rubber transfer consistent with a wing deice boot. Elevator trim was found to be between 50% and 75% nose up according to jack screw positioning. Engine tear down showed nothing of note and engine appeared to be in airworthy condition. The primary altitude indicator and fuel gauge has witness marks from operation at time of impact. Pilot altimeter setting was found at 29.82? And the co-pilot altimeter setting was found at 29.92?. Pilot side was not reset to 29.92? Upon crossing FL180 during climb. Cabin altitude selector was found to be set at FL180. Pitot tube, mast, and lift indicator anti-ice systems were tested and were found to be in operational condition. The cockpit annunicator panel was removed and examined by the NTSB laboratory. The results show that only the spare light was on at impact. The light for cabin alt and wing deice were found to be off at impact.