DEN00FA102

The purpose of the flight was for the instructor pilot to administer second-in-command (SIC) flight training to the commercial pilot in the twin-engine aircraft. According to the training manual, SIC training encompassed 4 hours of normal and emergency flight maneuvers to include stalls in the landing and takeoff configuration and while turning at a 15-30 degree bank. A witness heard the airplane's engines and observed the airplane from her driveway. The witness stated that as "the [engine] noise was getting louder and louder, I spotted it spiraling downward." The witness thought that the airplane was performing aerobatics; however, the airplane was getting too close to the ground. The witness heard a loud thud, and approximately 3 seconds later, she heard a loud boom and saw black smoke billow up. Another witness stated that she observed the airplane "going nose first straight down and spinning...counterclockwise." She thought the airplane was performing aerobatic maneuvers; however, the airplane did not stop descending. The airplane disappeared behind trees and the witness heard a loud explosion and saw smoke. She added that she did not observe what the airplane was doing prior to seeing it in a "downward spiral." Radar data depicted the airplane at 8,400 feet msl for the last 2 minutes and 26 seconds of the flight. The recorded aircraft ground speed during that time period fluctuated between 75 and 59 knots. The final radar returns depicted the airplane as making a 180 degree turn before radar contact was lost. No mayday calls were received from the airplane. The airplane impacted the ground in a near wings level attitude and was consumed by a post-crash fire. No anomalies were noted with the airplane or its engines during a post-accident examination. It is unknown which of the pilots was flying the airplane at the time of the accident.

History of flight

On June 5, 2000, at 1031 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, twin-engine airplane, N67BJ, was destroyed when it impacted terrain and burned following a loss of control while maneuvering near Kiowa, Colorado. The airplane was registered to EDB Air Inc., of Greenwood Village, Colorado, and was operated by Key Lime Air, Inc., of Englewood, Colorado. The airline transport instructor pilot and the commercial pilot receiving instruction received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The local flight originated from Centennial Airport, Englewood, Colorado, at 0930.

One witness observed the airplane from her driveway. She stated that she heard the airplane's engines and turned to look at it. She added that as "the [engine] noise was getting louder and louder, I spotted it spiraling downward." The witness did not remember hearing any sputtering. The witness thought that the airplane was performing aerobatics; however, the airplane was getting too close to the ground. Just prior to the airplane impacting the ground, the witness turned her head so she would not see the impact, but she heard a loud thud. Approximately 3 seconds later, she heard a loud boom and saw black smoke billow up.

Another witness observed the airplane from her yard. She stated that she saw the airplane "going nose first straight down and spinning...counterclockwise." She thought the airplane was performing aerobatic maneuvers; however, the airplane did not stop descending. The airplane disappeared behind trees and the witness heard a loud explosion and saw smoke. She added that she did not observe what the airplane was doing prior to seeing it in a "downward spiral."

Radar data depicted the airplane at 8,400 feet msl for the last 2 minutes and 26 seconds of the flight. The recorded aircraft ground speed during that time period fluctuated between 75 and 59 knots. The final radar returns depicted the aircraft making a 180 degree turn before radar contact was lost. No mayday calls were received from the accident airplane.

Personnel information

The flight instructor held an airline transport pilot certificate with an airplane multi-engine land rating. In addition, he held a commercial certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, and a flight engineer certificate for turbojet and turbopropeller powered aircraft. The pilot also held a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplanes, which was scheduled to expire on September 30, 2000. He was issued a first class medical certificate on February 28, 2000, with no limitations. According to company records, dated September 11, 1999, the instructor had accumulated a total of 3,900 flight hours. On June 13, 1999, the instructor completed 6.9 hours of flight training required to serve as pilot-in-command (PIC) in PA-31 aircraft, and on June 15, 1999, he completed the required 41.0 hours of ground training for the PA-31. On October 9, 1999, the pilot completed the company's required ground (2.0 hours) and flight (3.0 hours) training to serve as a flight instructor in PA-31 aircraft.

The pilot, who was receiving instruction at the time of the accident, held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane multi-engine land and instrument airplane ratings that was issued on May 13, 1999. He was issued a first class medical certificate without limitations on March 28, 2000. According to a resume provided by the operator, the pilot had accumulated a total of 276.7 hours of flight time, of which 42.4 hours were accumulated in multi-engine airplanes. The pilot had completed 40 hours of ground training to serve as second-in-command (SIC) in PA-31 aircraft on April 8, 2000. The operator's president stated that the pilot was to receive SIC flight training from the instructor. A review of the Key Lime Air Piper PA-31-350 Pilot Training Manual revealed that SIC flight training was to consist of a minimum of 4 hours of flight training to include "Lessons 1, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 16, 24, 34, 47, 48, 55, 60, 61, 62, 64, 66, 67" The training manual listed the aforementioned lessons as follows:

Lesson 1 Preflight Inspection

Lesson 5 Powerplant Start

Lesson 6 Taxiing

Lesson 7 Pretakoff Checks

Lesson 11 Normal Takeoff

Lesson 12 Crosswind Takeoff

Lesson 16 Powerplant Failure During Takeoff

Lesson 24 Approaches to Stalls

Lesson 34 ILS/LOC-DME Approaches

Lesson 47 Normal Approach and Landing

Lesson 48 Crosswind Approach and Landing

Lesson 55 Landing from a Contact Approach

Lesson 60 Normal Procedures

Lesson 61 Abnormal Procedures

Lesson 62 Reserved

Lesson 64 Emergency Procedures

Lesson 66 After Landing

Lesson 67 Parking and Securing

The approaches to stalls section of the training manual specified that the student was to practice the maneuver at an altitude no lower than 3,000 feet agl. According to the manual, "Three approaches to stalls are required and are as follows: One in a takeoff configuration or approach configuration (15 flaps, gear down), one in a clean configuration, and one in a landing configuration (full flaps, gear down). One of these approaches to stall must be accomplished while in a turn using a bank angle of 15 to 30 degrees."

The flight instructor was reportedly seated in the right seat and the commercial pilot was in the left seat. It is unknown who was flying the airplane at the time of the accident.

Aircraft information

The accident aircraft (serial number 31-7952250) was equipped with two Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD engines and two 3-bladed Hartzell HC-E3YR-2A(L)TF/F(J)C8468-6R propellers. The aircraft underwent its last 100-hour inspection on May 12, 2000, at an aircraft total time of 11,279.2 hours and its last 50-hour inspection on May 31, 2000, at an aircraft total time of 11,325.6 hours. At the time of the last 100-hour inspection, the left engine (serial number RL-5363-61A) and right engine (serial number RL-475-68A) had accumulated 4,191.2 and 4,419.8 total hours respectively, and 197.0 and 419.8 hours since their last overhaul respectively.

According to the aircraft maintenance records, the aircraft had a Boundary Layer Research, Inc., Super Chieftain I takeoff weight increase kit installed in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA 00192SE on May 16, 1995. According to the STC, the aircraft's Vs (stall speed) and Vso (stall speed in the landing configuration) were reduced from 77 and 74 knots to 71 and 67 knots respectively, and the aircraft's maximum ramp weight was increased from 7,045 to 7,448 pounds.

At the time of the accident, the airplane was configured for cargo flight operations and was equipped with the two front seats. A weight and balance calculation was conducted, and the airplane was found to be within the weight and balance limitations at the time of the accident.

Wreckage and impact information

The wreckage was located in an open grass pasture at an elevation of approximately 6,700 feet msl and at a latitude and longitude of 39 degrees 17.200 minutes north and 104 degrees and 26.100 minutes west. The accident site was approximately 4.5 miles southeast of Kiowa and 30 miles southeast of the departure airport. A 40-foot by 40-foot grass area downwind of the burnt wreckage sustained fire damage. The aircraft came to rest upright, sustaining crushing damage from the bottom side and fire damage to the entire structure, which reduced the wreckage to no higher than 2.5 feet. The wings and tail section were attached to the fuselage by molten metal and control cables. The vertical stabilizer was found laying on its right side over the horizontal stabilizer. A section of the elevator and its trim tab, and the rudder and its trim tab remained attached to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, respectively.