CEN20LA401

The airplane owner reported that the accident pilot had volunteered to fly the airplane in support of a charity fundraising event. It was the pilot’s first flight of the day. The accident pilot was a local pilot and had flown the airplane for the event the entire day prior with no issues, so he was familiar with the airport’s approach. A witness reported that the airplane appeared low on the approach. He noted the flaps were extended and the engine was running. Then the airplane’s nose-gear and the right main landing gear “clipped” a utility pole. The airplane subsequently impacted in a cornfield and immediately caught fire. The witness added that it did not appear the airplane tried to climb to avoid the power lines before striking the utility pole. The airplane struck the tops of a 79 ft wood power pole and a 61 ft wood dual pole utility tower on the approach to runway 18 about 875 ft north of the approach end of runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The accident is consistent with the pilot’s failure to see the utility poles while on the approach.

Runway 18 is 2,048 ft long with a 292 ft displaced threshold marked with yellow metal markers. The runway surface is turf and there are no visual glide slope indicators. The 8I3 information guide identifies 60 ft powerlines 875 ft from the approach end and 0 ft. right of centerline. The runway has a 20:1 approach slope to the displaced threshold. The utility line was marked with an orange, ball-like marker. On September 20, 2020, about 1057 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-301 airplane, N8213X, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Kokomo, Indiana. The pilot, and 2 passengers were fatally injured. One passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The airplane owner reported that the accident pilot had volunteered to fly the airplane in support of a charity fundraising event at the Glenndale Airport (8I3), Kokomo, Indiana. The morning of the accident, the pilot offered to fly three other volunteers on a flight around the area. It was the pilot’s first flight of the day. The owner added that the pilot had flown the airplane for the event the entire day prior with no issues and so he was familiar with the approach to 8I3. A witness who was taxiing his airplane to the runway and was about 1,000 ft from the approach end reported that the accident airplane appeared low on the approach. He noted the flaps were extended and the engine was running. The airplane’s nosegear and the right main landing gear “clipped” the utility pole, and the airplane subsequently yawed to the right and “cartwheel[ed] over on itself.” The airplane impacted a cornfield and immediately caught fire. The witness added that it did not appear the airplane tried to climb to avoid the power lines before striking the utility pole. The accident scene starts with two wood utility poles that supports powerlines, which run northeast to southwest and located about 875 ft north of the approach end of runway 18. The top of a single 79 ft tall pole was broken. Just south of the single pole was a 61 ft tall dual pole utility tower on which one of the top angular cross poles that supported a wire was also broken. See Figure 1. Figure 1. Broken Wood Power Pole and Broken Dual Pole Utility Tower. FAA Photo. The airplane main wreckage was located 277 ft south of the dual pole utility tower. The airplane was inverted and oriented on an easterly heading. The majority of the airplane’s structure was consumed by fire. The airplane was recovered to a hangar on 8I3 and examined. Flight control and engine continuity were confirmed. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation were found.