What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 13, 2022, about 1100 mountain standard time, a Piper PA46-310P aircraft,privacy data omitted was substantially damaged when it was involved in an in-flight breakup accident 14 miles northeast of Seligman, Arizona. The student pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The aircraft was operated by the student pilot as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
Flight track data revealed the aircraft departed from wichita valley airport (F14), wichita falls, Texas earliar that morning with an intended destination of henderson executive airport (khnd), henderson, Nevada. The aircraft stopped for fuel at double eagle ii airport (kaeg), albuquerque, new Mexico. The aircraft departed kaeg and traveled west for about 1 hour 50 minutes before the flight track data ended near an area of thunderstorms, heavy precipitation and moderate turbulence. Near the end of the track data, the aircraft made a 270-degree left turn, follow by a steep descending right turn. The flight track data ended near the accident site. The pilot was in communication with los angeles center at the time of the accident.
Weather in the area during the timeframe of the accident was reported as moderate to heavy precipitation. An uninvolved aircraft in the area reported “serious moderate turbulence.”
Security video located near the accident site shows heavy rain and gusty wind conditions at the time of the accident.
A post-accident examination of the accident site revealed that a debris field was located across high desert terrain with sparsely spaced juniper trees. The debris field was about 2 miles long and consisted of sections of both wings, and empennage. The left flap and rudder have not been located.
The aircraft wreckage was relocated to a secure facility for further examination.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2022, ABOUT 1100 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA46-310P AIRCRAFT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP ACCIDENT 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF SELIGMAN, ARIZONA. THE STUDENT PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY THE STUDENT PILOT AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
FLIGHT TRACK DATA REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM WICHITA VALLEY AIRPORT (F14), WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS EARLIAR THAT MORNING WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF HENDERSON EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KHND), HENDERSON, NEVADA. THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED FOR FUEL AT DOUBLE EAGLE II AIRPORT (KAEG), ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KAEG AND TRAVELED WEST FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR 50 MINUTES BEFORE THE FLIGHT TRACK DATA ENDED NEAR AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS, HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND MODERATE TURBULENCE. NEAR THE END OF THE TRACK DATA, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A 270-DEGREE LEFT TURN, FOLLOW BY A STEEP DESCENDING RIGHT TURN. THE FLIGHT TRACK DATA ENDED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH LOS ANGELES CENTER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
WEATHER IN THE AREA DURING THE TIMEFRAME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED AS MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION. AN UNINVOLVED AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA REPORTED “SERIOUS MODERATE TURBULENCE.”
SECURITY VIDEO LOCATED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE SHOWS HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
A POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT A DEBRIS FIELD WAS LOCATED ACROSS HIGH DESERT TERRAIN WITH SPARSELY SPACED JUNIPER TREES. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS ABOUT 2 MILES LONG AND CONSISTED OF SECTIONS OF BOTH WINGS, AND EMPENNAGE. THE LEFT FLAP AND RUDDER HAVE NOT BEEN LOCATED.
THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS RELOCATED TO A SECURE FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N43605 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.