CHI00FA185

The personal flight departed from the Duluth International Airport (DLH), Duluth, Minnesota. en route to the Thunder Bay Airport, Ontario Canada. A ceiling of 100 feet agl and a visibility of 1/4 sm in fog were reported at the time of the accident. The airplane took off from runway 09, turned to a heading of 005 degrees, and climbed to an altitude of 2,700 feet msl. Approximately two minutes after issuing the takeoff clearance, the tower controller instructed the pilot to contact departure control. Four seconds later, "13Y contacting departure" was transmitted on the departure frequency. Four seconds after that, "13Y" was transmitted. Departure control attempted several times to contact the airplane, but there was no response. DLH radar showed that approximately forty seconds into the flight, the airplane turned to a heading of 065 degrees and began a gradual descent to 2,500 feet msl. Twenty seconds later, the airplane climbed to 3,400 feet msl and then began a left descending turn which continued until radar contact was lost at 3,000 feet msl. Examination of the wreckage revealed no anomalies. The pilot logged 6.4 hours of instrument time since his receipt of a multi-engine instrument rating on March 24, 1999. The pilot received a third class medical certificate under a special issuance for a history of myocardial infarction. Federal Aviation Administration toxicology testing revealed the presence of verapamil, a prescription blood pressure medication.

History of flight

On July 8, 2000, at 1333 central daylight time, a Piper PA-30, N7213Y, operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted into a wooded area, 1.8 miles north-northeast of the Duluth International Airport (DLH), Duluth, Minnesota. A post-crash fire ensued. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was on file. The pilot and 2 passengers on board the airplane were fatally injured. The cross-country flight originated at Duluth, Minnesota, at 1330, and was en route to the Thunder Bay Airport (YQT), Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

At 1213, a weather briefing was given to a caller for N7213Y by the Princeton, Minnesota, Flight Service Station (AFSS) for a flight from DLH to YQT.

At 1240, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan from DLH to YQT, with a proposed departure time of 1340.

At 1321, the pilot contacted the Duluth Air Traffic Control Tower (DLH ATCT) and requested his IFR clearance to Thunder Bay. The tower told him that N7213Y was cleared to Thunder Bay as filed, climb to 6,000 feet mean sea level (msl), expect 7,000 feet msl 10 minutes after take off, contact departure control on frequency 125.45 megahertz, and to set his transponder code to 6303.

At 1323, the pilot called DLH ATCT for taxi clearance. The tower told N7213Y to taxi to runway 09 (10,152 feet by 150 feet, dry concrete), report when he was at the hold line, and advise that he had the Automated Terminal Information System (ATIS) information "papa". The pilot said they had "papa". The tower then asked the pilot if he was familiar with convective sigmet (significant meteorological conditions report) two charlie? The pilot said, "Ah, affirmative."

At 1330:12, the pilot called for takeoff clearance. DLH ATCT told N7213Y to taxi into position. The pilot responded, "taxiing position and hold one three yankee."

At 1330:53, DLH ATCT cleared N7213Y for takeoff, and told him that after takeoff to make a left turn to a 050-degree heading. The pilot responded, "Cleared for takeoff left turn zero five zero."

DLH radar showed N7213Y lifted off approximately 4,000 feet down runway 09. The airplane initiated a left turn to a heading of approximately 005 degrees and climbed to an altitude of 2,700 feet msl (1,272 feet agl). Approximately 40 seconds into the flight, N7213Y turned to a heading of 065 degrees and began a descent to 2,500 feet msl.

At 1332:56, DLH ATCT told N7213Y to contact departure. There was no response.

At 1333:00, N7213Y transmitted on the departure frequency, "13Y contacting departure." At 1333:04, the pilot said, "13Y." At 1333:11, there was a two-second long sound consistent with a keyed microphone. At 1333:16, DLH departure control tried to contact N7213Y several times.

Approximately 1 minute into the flight, DLH radar showed N7213Y climb to 3,400 feet msl and then initiate a left descending turn that continued until radar contact was lost, approximately 8 seconds later. At the time radar contact was lost, the airplane was at 3,000 feet msl and had reached a heading of approximately 320 degrees.

A witness, whose farm was located just west of the accident site, said he was in his house when he heard the airplane's engines. He said that he could hear the airplane as if it were right on top of him. The witness said the engine sound was loud. "There were no wavering sounds. It was constant, steady." The witness said that 2-3 seconds later, he heard an explosion. "It (the explosion) was so large that it shook the whole house."

At approximately 1342, DLH ATCT received a call from the local 9-1-1 dispatcher stating that a resident north of the airport reported a "loud crash or boom." The tower passed the information to an airport rescue vehicle and told the vehicle to respond to that location, and "possibly that might be a crash site."

Personnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land, multi-engine land, instrument airplanes.

According to his logbook, the pilot obtained his multi-engine airplane instrument rating on March 24, 1999, in a PA-30 airplane. He successfully completed an instrument proficiency check on May 21, 2000. The logbook showed that from the time the pilot received his multi-engine instrument rating, to the time of the accident, he had logged 6.3 hours of simulated instrument time, 1.8 hours of which was during his instrument proficiency check. During the same time period, the logbook showed that the pilot logged 0.1 hours of actual instrument time.

At the time of the accident, it was estimated that the pilot had logged approximately 317.9 total flying hours. This figure is based on his accumulated time through, July 4, 2000, and the estimated time en route from Schaumburg, Illinois, to Duluth. The pilot had logged approximately 88 hours in the PA-30 airplane. In the 90 days preceding the accident, the pilot had logged approximately 10.7 flying hours, all in the PA-30 airplane.

The pilot held a third class medical certificate, dated January 11, 2000. The limitations section of the certificate showed the statement, "Valid for 12 months".

Aircraft information

The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot and was used for pleasure. The current registration certificate, showing the pilot as the owner, was dated December 3, 1997.

The airplane underwent an annual inspection on May 20, 2000. According to the airframe logbooks, the total airframe time recorded at the annual inspection was 3,786.5 hours.

The airframe time at the time of the accident was determined to be approximately 3,796.4 hours.

Meteorological information

At 1255, the DLH automated surface observation system (ASOS) reported a vertical visibility of 100 feet agl, a measured visibility of 1/4 statute mile with fog, temperature 56 degrees F, dew point 56 degrees F, winds 120 degrees at 6 knots, and an altimeter of 29.92 inches of Mercury (Hg).

DLH ATIS information "papa" at 1255, reported a visibility of less than 1/4 mile and fog, an indefinite ceiling of 100 feet agl, and remarks of "pressure rising rapidly" and two convective sigmets in effect, one for the area beginning northeast of Grand Forks, North Dakota, running southeast to Brainerd, Minnesota; a line of thunderstorms moving west to east, and the other for a line of thunderstorms east to south of Duluth, moving west to east.

At 1330, the DLH aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported a vertical visibility 100 feet agl, a measured visibility of 1/4 mile with fog, temperature 60 degrees F, dew point 60 degrees F, winds 140 degrees at 5 knots, and an altimeter of 29.93 inches Hg.

The witness, who heard the airplane's engines and the explosion, said the weather at his house, at the time of the accident, was foggy. The fog was at tree top level. The witness said he could see clearly along the ground. "It was calm. There was no wind at all."

Wreckage and impact information

The Safety Board's on scene investigation began on July 9, 2000, at 1030.

The accident site was located in a wooded area 1.8 miles north-northeast of the Duluth International Airport on a 030-degree magnetic heading. The extent of the accident site encompassed an area approximately 494 feet long and 75 feet wide. The wreckage was scattered predominately along a 240 degree magnetic heading.

The first observed indication of the accident site was a damaged 120-foot tall, 16-inch diameter elm tree. Several of the top branches were severed and broken. A few of the severed branches were found resting on the ground, approximately 5 feet west of the base of the elm tree.

Also approximately 5 feet west of the elm tree was a 5-foot long section of the airplane's right wing, which included the wing tip, aileron and aileron