CHI07FA041

The airplane was destroyed on impact with terrain following a descent from cruise. An in-flight break up occurred during the descent. Night visual meteorological surface conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot had received a weather brief from a Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS) for the flight. Radar data showed the airplane was on a northeast heading. At 1902:14.0, the airplane's radar return showed the airplane was about one mile southwest of the accident site at 11,600 feet above mean sea level (MSL). At 1902:18.8, it was at 10,700 feet MSL. At 1902:23.6, it was at 9,800 feet MSL. At 1902:32.7, it was at 7,300 feet MSL. A witness who lived within 300 feet of the crash site stated, "I heard ... something coming [through] this complex that was out of control (real fast) a lot of rumbling (loud whizzing/roaring sounds) then all of a sudden I heard a[n] engine sound like it was at full throttle wide open, then an explosion/impact." A second witness stated, "We heard a really loud noise above us. We were looking up at the plane as we heard the noise, and then we saw lights on the plane start spiraling down. We watched it spiral to the ground and it crashed. The ground shook and [debris] starting flying around us." The pilot was not instrument current. The airplane's stalling speed at gross weight with flaps and landing gear up was 75 mph and its top speed was 194 mph. A pilot near the area reported that the cloud tops were at 11,300 feet above mean sea level and that he encountered moderate rime icing. The moon was below the horizon. Continuous Data Recording (CDR), which is airplane radar track data, was plotted on Doppler weather radar base reflectivity depictions. That plotted data showed that the airplane cruised along an area of weather aloft consistent with moisture and temperatures below freezing. Calculated speed plots from the CDR data showed that the airplane was cruising at an airspeed of about 95 -100 knots before decreasing to 78 - 80 knots just prior to the beginning of the high rate of descent. A review of the speed plots showed that the airplane's airspeed had increased to about 225 knots at the last radar return. An airplane owner reported the accident pilot stated that he routinely flew at 10,500 and 11,500 feet MSL and that he avoided using air traffic control flight following services. No pre-impact anomalies were detected during an on-scene investigation of the airplane wreckage.

History of flight

On December 17, 2006, about 1902 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-24-260, N9073P, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed on impact with terrain near Bucyrus, Ohio, following a descent from cruise. The personal flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night visual surface meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. The flight originated from the Richard Lloyd Jones Jr Airport (RVS), near Tulsa, Oklahoma, about 1432 central standard time and was destined for the Belfast Municipal Airport (BST), near Belfast, Maine.

The pilot had received a weather brief from a Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS). The pilot had requested a weather briefing for a flight from RVS to BST. The pilot flight planned a flight from the Harvey Young Airport, near Tulsa, Oklahoma, to BST. The planned en route waypoints were Greenville, Illinois, Wadsworth, Ohio, and Gansevoort, New York.

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA), approach radar at the Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (MFD), near Mansfield, Ohio, recorded an airplane with a transponder code of 1200. A replay of that radar data showed the airplane was on a northeast heading. At 1902:14.0, the airplane's radar return showed the airplane was about one mile southwest of the Port Bucyrus-Crawford County Airport, Bucyrus, Ohio at 11,600 feet above mean sea level (MSL). At 1902:18.8, it was at 10,700 feet MSL. At 1902:23.6, it was at 9,800 feet MSL. At 1902:32.7, it was at 7,300 feet MSL.

A witness who lived within 300 feet of the crash site stated:

I heard ... something coming [through] this complex that was out of control

(real fast) a lot of rumbling (loud whizzing/roaring sounds) then all of a

sudden I heard a[n] engine sound like it was at full throttle wide open, then

an explosion/impact.

A second witness who was located about 500 yards from the accident, in part, stated:

[My co-worker] and I clocked out at exactly 7:00p.m. We stood outside close

to the building for about 5 minutes after clocking out. We heard a really loud

noise above us. We were looking up at the plane as we heard the noise, and

then we saw lights on the plane start spiraling down. We watched it spiral to the

ground and it crashed. The ground shook and [debris] starting flying around us.

Personnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land, single-engine sea, and airplane instrument ratings. He held a Third Class medical certificate with no limitations that was issued on September 21, 2006. The pilot's logbook showed that he had accumulated 1,338.6 hours of total flight time. The pilot reported to his insurance company that he had 720 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. He logged 13.8 hours in the last 90 days. A flight logbook endorsement showed that the pilot completed a flight review on October 4, 2006. The logbook showed that the pilot was not instrument current.

Aircraft information

N9073P, a 1966 Piper PA-24-260, Comanche, serial number 24-4542, was an all-metal airplane with semimonocoque fuselage and empennage construction. The airplane seated four and had a maximum gross weight of 3,100 pounds. The airplane was powered by a 260-horsepower, six-cylinder, horizontally opposed, air cooled, fuel injected, Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, serial number RL-3542-48, engine. The airplane's propeller was a three-bladed Hartzell HC-C3YR-1RF model. The airplane was equipped with wing flaps, a constant speed propeller, and retractable tricycle landing gear. The airplane was fitted with two optional 15-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks in addition to the two standard 30-gallon main fuel tanks. The owner's handbook showed the airplane's stalling speed at gross weight with flaps and landing gear up was 75 mph and its top speed was 194 mph. The type certificate data sheet showed the airplane's never exceed speed was 203 mph and its maneuvering speed was 144 mph. The owner's handbook does not indicate that the aircraft is equipped for flight into icing conditions.

The last annual inspection was conducted on February 8, 2006. The airplane had accumulated a total time of 6,636.4 hours at that time.

A receipt showed that the airplane was serviced at RVS with 5.6 gallons of aviation gasoline (avgas) on December 17, 2006 at 1429.

Meteorological information

A National Resource Specialist for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) compiled a Meteorological Factual Report for the investigation. Heights listed in the Surface Weather Observations are above ground level (AGL) and directions are referenced to true north. Excerpts from that report follow:

Surface Weather Observations

Marion, Ohio ... is located at about 206 degrees at 11.3 nautical miles from

the accident site.

2353Z ... Winds 200 degrees at 6 knots; visibility 10 miles; ceiling 2,700

feet overcast; temperature 13 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter

setting 30.08 inches of Hg.

December 18, 2006 at 0053Z ... Winds 240 degrees at 8 knots; visibility

10 miles; ceiling 2,900 feet overcast; temperature 14 degrees C; dew

point 9 degrees C; altimeter setting 30.11 inches of Hg.; rain began 0013Z

and ended 0023Z; a trace (< 0.01 inch) of precipitation was measured

between 2353Z to 0053Z.

Astronomical data (Naval Observatory) for the time and location of the

accident indicated that the moon was below the horizon.

[Upper air data indicated] a freezing level of about 9,200 feet.

Pilot Report

...

135 degrees at 30 nautical miles from [Findley, Ohio] FDY / time 2328Z /

flight level 11,000 feet / type aircraft LJ35 / cloud top 11,300 feet / temperature

8 degrees C / icing moderate rime.

...

In-Flight Weather Advisories

AIRMET Sierra Update 4 for IFR issued December 17, 2006 at 2045Z and

valid until December 18, 2006 at 0300Z.

Ceiling below 1,000 feet / visibility below 3 miles in mist / precipitation.

Continuous Data Recording (CDR), which is airplane radar track data, was obtained from the FAA. The flight's CDR track data was plotted on Doppler weather radar base reflectivity images. This data showed that the airplane cruised along an area of weather radar echoes aloft consistent with moisture. Upper air data for the location of the accident indicated temperatures below freezing at the airplane's altitude.

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane impacted terrain about a mile east of the Port Bucyrus-Crawford County Airport, Bucyrus, Ohio. The airplane was found fragmented and a debris field of dirt and airplane parts was found on about a 45-degree magnetic heading for about a quarter mile from the main wreckage's impact point. Two outboard sections of the right wing and the right wing tip were found about three quarters of a mile on a 220-degree magnetic heading from the main wreckage. The left outboard section of the horizontal stabilizer was found one tenth of a mile south and four tenths of a mile east of the main wreckage. The smell of avgas was present at the main wreckage.

An on-scene examination of the wreckage was conducted. The outboard section of the left wing separated from its inboard section about the spar splice joint. The outboard section of the right wing separated from its inboard section about the spar splice joint. The left and right outboard sections of the horizontal stabilizer separated from their inboard sections. All separations were consistent with overload. The flight control cables were traced. All breaks in the control cables were broom straw shaped. The flap jackscrew was found in the flaps retracted position. No airframe pre-impact anomalies were detected.

The engine was recovered from about three feet below the surface of the ter