CHI96FA184

The airplane was in cruise flight at 17,000 feet msl when the pilot told Minneapolis ARTCC 'We're picking up some ice and rain, and we're going to turn around.' ARTCC approved the request. Two minutes later the pilot told ARTCC that 'We're looking for some help to get around this weather southbound.' ARTCC told the pilot that he could turn either east or west. The pilot turned west, then 4 minutes later turned back to the south. The pilot then told ARTCC that they were still encountering weather. ARTCC directed the pilot to turn north and then east whenever he could. Approximately 1 minute later ARTCC radar showed the airplane in a rapid descent. The pilot then told ARTCC 'Minneapolis center, N9114Q is out of control.' The pilot had received a FSS briefing prior to takeoff, and was advised of convective conditions and precipitation building to the south along his intended route of flight. The airplane was approximately 548 pounds over maximum takeoff weight.

History of flight

On June 2, 1996, at 1317 central daylight time (cdt), a Piper, PA-46-310P, N9114Q, operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when during cruise flight it broke up, and subsequently impacted the terrain near Aitkin, Minnesota. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. An IFR flight plan was on file. The pilot and three passengers on board were fatally injured. The flight originated at International Falls, Minnesota, at 1220 cdt, and was en route to Ottumwa, Iowa.

The pilot arrived at the Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada, Flight Service Station (FSS) and received a weather briefing at 1042 cdt. He requested the weather forecast for a route of flight originating at Sioux Lookout, stopping at International Falls, Minnesota, and continuing to a final destination of Ottumwa, Iowa. Following the briefing, the pilot filed an IFR flight plan to International Falls, Minnesota. The pilot departed Sioux Lookout at approximately 1115 cdt.

At 1208 cdt, the pilot contacted the Princeton, Minnesota, Flight Service Station by telephone from International Falls, Minnesota.

The pilot filed an IFR flight plan from International Falls, Minnesota, to Ottumwa, Iowa. The pilot also requested and received winds aloft.

At 1218 cdt, the pilot called for his IFR clearance. One minute later, Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Sector 25 issued the pilot a clearance from International Falls, Minnesota, to Ottumwa, Iowa, via direct, and to climb and maintain 15,000 feet mean sea level (msl). The airplane departed International Falls, Minnesota, shortly after the pilot received the clearance.

At 1243 cdt, the pilot requested and received from Minneapolis ARTCC Sector 25, clearance to 17,000 feet msl.

At 1303 cdt, the pilot was directed to change radio frequencies. The pilot checked in with Minneapolis ARTCC Sector 10, and reported being at 17,000 feet msl.

At 1305:55 cdt, the pilot said to Minneapolis ARTCC, "we're going to make a one eighty here and get back out of some of this weather here. We're picking up some ice and rain, and we're going to turn around." Minneapolis ARTCC, awaiting a clearance readback from another airplane, responded by telling the pilot to "hold on to your request. I'll be back with you in two minutes."

Minneapolis ARTCC radar showed the pilot initiate a right turn to a heading of 334 degrees magnetic. He completed the turn at 1308:55 cdt.

At 1306:46 cdt, Minneapolis ARTCC approved the pilot's request to "turn back north."

At 1308:55 cdt, the pilot told Minneapolis ARTCC that they were on a 350-degree heading at 17,000 feet msl, and "we're looking for some help to get around this weather southbound." Minneapolis ARTCC told the pilot, "looks like you can go either east or west. Right now west, it looks like about twenty miles 'til you can turn southeast. Maybe thirty miles (if you go) south." The pilot elected to turn west.

At 1310:25 cdt, Minneapolis ARTCC radar showed the pilot initiate a left turn to a heading of 272-degrees magnetic. He completed the turn at 1312:31 cdt. The pilot remained on an approximate heading of 268-degrees magnetic for one minute and 36 seconds.

At 1314:07 cdt, Minneapolis ARTCC radar showed the pilot initiate a second left turn to a heading of 210-degrees magnetic. He completed the turn at 1315:19 cdt.

At 1314:57 cdt, the pilot said to Minneapolis ARTCC, "We're still encountering some weather here at 17,000 (feet msl). We're heading southbound now. Any suggestions for us now?" Minneapolis ARTCC told the pilot that it "looks like you're going back into that area that you avoided before right now," and directed the pilot to "turn northbound and then east whenever you can." The pilot responded, "Okay, northbound." Minneapolis ARTCC then said to the pilot, "I'd suggest you turn north and go east. I know when you go east, you go over Duluth, you'll be able to go straight south." The pilot asked, "How far east?" Minneapolis ARTCC responded, "about forty miles." The pilot said, "okay."

At 1316:19 cdt, Minneapolis ARTCC radar showed the airplane in a rapid descent.

At 1316:24 cdt, the pilot said over the radio, "Minneapolis center, N9114Q is out of control."

At 1316:42, Minneapolis ARTCC said, "N9114Q, how do you hear?" At 1316:45, the pilot said, "114Q is here." Minneapolis ARTCC responded, "Go ahead sir, what do you have?"

The pilot's final recorded transmission at 1316:49 was, "We're descending."

At 1317:37, the pilot of Messaba Flight 2927 told Minneapolis ARTCC that he heard the radio calls of N9114Q and said, "he seemed a little shaken there. He sounded like he was in a spin. I don't know if he's in the weather." The center requested that the pilot of Messaba Flight 2927 try to raise the pilot of N9114Q. After several attempts, the pilot of Messaba Flight 2927 told Minneapolis ARTCC, "The last transmission he made, he said it felt like he didn't have a tail."

A witness, piloting his Cessna 182 near Little Falls, Minnesota, monitored the transmissions made by the pilot of N9114Q. The witness stated that the pilot said that his airplane was out of control and that he was in a flat spin. The pilot reported being at 14,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and descending 4,000 feet per minute. The witness recalls that the pilot specifically said, "I can't get it out of a flat spin. It (the airplane) is acting like it didn't have a tail." After that statement, the witness did not hear any further transmissions from the pilot.

Personnel information

The pilot had 1,817 total flying hours, 1,084 hours in the PA-46-310P. The pilot had attended PA-46-310P ground and flight refresher training conducted by Attitudes International, Incorporated, at Olathe, Kansas on April 26, 1996.

A certified flight instructor for Ottumwa Flying Service, Ottumwa, Iowa, who had flown with the pilot since March of 1989 and had given the pilot his previous biennial flight review, stated that the pilot "flew in spurts. One thing I did notice when I first flew with him was that he tended to use the autopilot a lot. We tried to get over that, and I had him hand- fly the airplane." He also stated that although the pilot had an instrument rating, he was not comfortable flying in meteorological conditions. He would go out of his way to avoid weather of any kind.

Aircraft information

The airplane was owned and operated by Home Oil Stations, Incorporated, Ottumwa, Iowa, of which the pilot was chief executive officer. The airplane was used for business and pleasure. The airplane had an annual inspection performed on May 24, 1996, by Des Moines Flying Service, Incorporated, Des Moines, Iowa. The airplane was parked and routinely maintained by Ottumwa Flying Service, at Ottumwa, Iowa.

Meteorological information

At 1255 cdt, the National Weather Service issued Convective SIGMET 48C, valid until 1555 cdt, which reported from an area 20 miles south of International Falls, Minnesota, to Duluth, Minnesota, to 50 miles north-northeast of Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota, to 20 miles south-southeast of Bemigji, Minnesota, severe thunderstorms moving from the west at 20 miles per hour; tops to 30,000 feet MSL; Hail to one-inch in diameter, and possible wind gusts to 50 knots.

The weather observer at Aitkin, Minnesota, at 1255 cdt, reported a measured broken ceiling of 4,400 feet MSL, 5,000 feet MSL broken and 6,000 feet MSL overcast, 10 miles visibility, winds from 210 degrees magnetic at 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots, and remarks of lightning in the vicinity and distance, north and northwest of the airport.

The pilot received a weather briefing from the weather observer at Sioux Lookout FSS, Ontario, Canada, at 1042 cdt. The observer first went over the area forecast and the current weather conditions. The MIDS c