What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 12, 2024, about 1956 central daylight time, a Piper PA46-500TP privacy data omitted, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Marianna, Arkansas. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a part 91 personal flight.
The pilot filed an instrument flight plan from the pensacola international airport (pns) to batesville regional airport (bvx) the flight departed pns about 1721 and climbed to flight level (FL) 280. The aircraft flight plan showed direct bvx. At about 1945, the pilot requested a lower altitude from ATC and began a descent out of FL 280. About 10 minutes later, the airplane entered a rapid descent and spiraling right turn, with a calculated descent rate exceeding 17,000 ft per minute. The airplane’s fuselage came to rest in an open field west of cannon lake in lee county Arkansas.
The wreckage shows a final heading of 10 degrees. The left wing was detached at the wing root and was found near the fuselage in two pieces. The inboard portion of the left wing was found about 30 ft west of the main wreckage with evidence of fuel remaining, and the outboard portion of the left wing was found about 80 ft north of the main wreckage. The inboard portion of the right wing was found partially under the fuselage. The engine was attached to the engine mount and embedded in the ground.
The left horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, rudder, elevator, right aileron, right flap, and the outboard portion of the right wing were not located at the accident site. A search for the missing components utilizing a state police drone was conducted.
Flight control continuity was established to the extent possible with the condition of the wreckage. No obvious discrepancies were found. The engine was embedded in soft mud and remained attached to the engine mount. All four propeller blades remained attached to the propeller hub. The blades exhibited a forward bending indicating the engine was producing power at impact. The landing gear was found in the retracted position. The pitot heat switch in the overhead switch panel was found in the on position. Both pitot tubes were tested, and produced heat when an electrical source was applied.
The airplane was recovered to a secure facility for further examination by NTSB and Piper inspectors
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 12, 2024, ABOUT 1956 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA46-500TP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR MARIANNA, ARKANSAS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE PILOT FILED AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PLAN FROM THE PENSACOLA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (PNS) TO BATESVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT (BVX) THE FLIGHT DEPARTED PNS ABOUT 1721 AND CLIMBED TO FLIGHT LEVEL (FL) 280. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT PLAN SHOWED DIRECT BVX. AT ABOUT 1945, THE PILOT REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE FROM ATC AND BEGAN A DESCENT OUT OF FL 280. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A RAPID DESCENT AND SPIRALING RIGHT TURN, WITH A CALCULATED DESCENT RATE EXCEEDING 17,000 FT PER MINUTE. THE AIRPLANE’S FUSELAGE CAME TO REST IN AN OPEN FIELD WEST OF CANNON LAKE IN LEE COUNTY ARKANSAS.
THE WRECKAGE SHOWS A FINAL HEADING OF 10 DEGREES. THE LEFT WING WAS DETACHED AT THE WING ROOT AND WAS FOUND NEAR THE FUSELAGE IN TWO PIECES. THE INBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND ABOUT 30 FT WEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE WITH EVIDENCE OF FUEL REMAINING, AND THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING WAS FOUND ABOUT 80 FT NORTH OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE INBOARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING WAS FOUND PARTIALLY UNDER THE FUSELAGE. THE ENGINE WAS ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE MOUNT AND EMBEDDED IN THE GROUND.
THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER, ELEVATOR, RIGHT AILERON, RIGHT FLAP, AND THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING WERE NOT LOCATED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. A SEARCH FOR THE MISSING COMPONENTS UTILIZING A STATE POLICE DRONE WAS CONDUCTED.
FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE WITH THE CONDITION OF THE WRECKAGE. NO OBVIOUS DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. THE ENGINE WAS EMBEDDED IN SOFT MUD AND REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE MOUNT. ALL FOUR PROPELLER BLADES REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE PROPELLER HUB. THE BLADES EXHIBITED A FORWARD BENDING INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT IMPACT. THE LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THE PITOT HEAT SWITCH IN THE OVERHEAD SWITCH PANEL WAS FOUND IN THE ON POSITION. BOTH PITOT TUBES WERE TESTED, AND PRODUCED HEAT WHEN AN ELECTRICAL SOURCE WAS APPLIED.
THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED TO A SECURE FACILITY FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION BY NTSB AND PIPER INSPECTORS
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 N241PM · 1
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