20210517009809A

ON MAY 17, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:21 PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), N2430X, A C-182-H AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, WAS DESTROYED AFTER STRIKING AN ANTENNA WHILE ENROUTE ON A PIPELINE PATROL FLIGHT IN JASPER TOWNSHIP, MI.

THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CLARE, MI AIRPORT (48D) EARLIER IN THE DAY AND WAS ENROUTE ALONG A PIPELINE TRAVELLING FROM THE VICINITY OF PORT HURON, MI TO KALKASKA, MI.

THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN NORTHWEST BOUND ALONG THE PIPELINE WHEN IT STRUCK GUY WIRES ANCHORING AN ADJACENT ANTENNA. THE ANTENNA IS DEPICTED ON AERONAUTICAL CHARTS AS 1049 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). NUMEROUS GUY WIRES ANCHOR THE STRUCTURE. THE ANTENNA IS APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET TO THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE PIPELINE.

THE MAJORITY OF THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 160 FEET EAST OF THE ANTENNA BASE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WING AND FUEL BLADDER WERE FOUND WITHIN THE FENCED ENCLOSURE IMMEDIATELY AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE ANTENNA. A LARGE PORTION OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, THE ENTIRE LEFT ELEVATOR, AND THE LEFT (PILOT SIDE) DOOR WERE LOCATED WITHIN ABOUT 200 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE ANTENNA.

THE PRIMARY WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1110 FEET FROM THE ANTENNA BEARING 305 DEGREES. THIS SITE BEARS SIGNS OF A HIGH ANGLE OF IMPACT WITH HIGH IMPACT FORCES. THE PROPELLER WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BURIED IN THE SOFT DIRT OF THE PLOWED FIELD WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE WRECKAGE ABOUT 50 FEET BEYOND THIS POINT OF IMPACT. LARGE PORTIONS OF THE RIGHT WING, TAIL AND AIRCRAFT ENGINE REMAINED IDENTIFIABLE BUT BEARING SIGNIFICANT IMPACT DAMAGE. THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT INCLUDING THE ENTIRE FUSELAGE AND INTERIOR WERE DESTROYED IN THE POST-CRASH FIRE.

THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT, WITH THE FIRST WITNESS OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT WHILE STILL BURNING IN THE POST-CRASH FIRE.

A RELATIVE OF THE PILOT INDICATED HE HAD EXCHANGED TEXT MESSAGES WITH THE PILOT EARLIER IN THE DAY AND WAS AWARE HE WAS ON A PIPELINE FLIGHT. THIS INDIVIDUAL STATED THE PILOT SHARED A SNAPCHAT VIDEO SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HE STATED THAT THE VIDEO WAS FROM INSIDE THE AIRPLANE AND THAT HE SAW SEVERAL WINDMILLS AND FARM FIELDS THAT WERE JUST SOUTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE INDIVIDUAL NOTED THAT HE WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, AND THAT WAS WHY HE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THE VIDEO WAS TAKEN SHORTLY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

THE OWNER OF THE PIPELINE PATROL COMPANY STATED THAT FLIGHTS ARE TYPICALLY CONDUCTED BETWEEN 600 AND 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. HE FURTHER STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD ALL REQUIRED INSPECTIONS COMPLETED WITH NO KNOWN MECHANICAL ISSUES. THE ACCIDENT PILOT HAD BEEN TRAINED BY THE COMPANY WITH APPROXIMATELY 40 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION RECEIVED. HE HAD COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 3 SOLO PIPELINE FLIGHTS ALONG THIS LINE SINCE BECOMING QUALIFIED.

A DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER (DPE) HAD FLOWN WITH THE PILOT TWO DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND ISSUED HIM A MULTIENGINE LAND CLASS PRIVILEGES ON HIS CERTIFICATE. THIS DPE HAD FLOWN WITH THE PILOT ON AN ADDITIONAL 3 PRACTICAL TESTS SINCE JULY 2020. HE STATED THE PILOT EXHIBITED NO ADVERSE HABITS, HAZARDOUS ATTITUDES OR SKILL DEFICIENCIES.

VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND CALM WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER REPORT AT GRATIOT COMMUNITY AIRPORT IN ALMA, MI (AMN) AT 1716Z WAS: WIND CALM, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, SKIES SCATTERED AT 5,500 AND SCATTERED AT 8,000, TEMPERATURE 23, DEW POINT 08, AND ALTIMETER 3022.