NYC08FA180

The non-instrument-rated private pilot departed in the early morning hours, before daylight, on a cross-country flight. There was no record of the pilot receiving a preflight weather briefing from either a Flight Service Station or a computer service. About 30 minutes into the flight, the airplane changed its heading twice with accompanying rapid changes in altitude. Shortly thereafter the airplane began a rapid descent and collided with steep mountainous terrain. According to radar analysis of the flight conducted by a Safety Board meteorology specialist, the first-half of the flight took place under visual meteorological conditions; however, during the remainder of the flight the airplane most likely entered both a wave cloud and a layer of broken-overcast clouds that bordered the flight path. Strong northwesterly winds normal to mountain ridges existed in the general area at the time of the accident. These winds would have caused the airplane to experience moderate to severe turbulence, and strong downdrafts due to either mechanical turbulence or mountain waves in the location where the final rapid descent occurred. There was no evidence of premishap mechanical malfunction or failure observed during the examination of the engine or airframe.

History of flight

On May 12, 2008, at 0533 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Piper PA-32-260, N64FP, collided with mountainous terrain near Cruso, North Carolina. The certificated private pilot and passenger were killed, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight was operated as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Rutherford County Airport-Marchman Field (FQD), Rutherfordton, North Carolina, about 0500 with a planned destination of North Little Rock Municipal Airport (ORK), North Little Rock, Arkansas. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the vicinity of the accident.

Review of radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that at 0522, a target crossed over Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), North Carolina, on a westbound track at a mode C reported altitude of 9,200 feet. For the next 7 minutes, the target continued on the track and descended to 8,300 feet. During the next 2 minutes, the target entered a descending right turn, before continuing northwest at an altitude of 7,100 feet. The next radar return was observed 10 seconds later at an altitude of 6,100 feet. The target then began to track towards the southwest, and climbed to 6,300 feet. The target continued to descend for the last minute to the final return at 5,800 feet. The wreckage was located on the southern face of Cold Mountain, at an elevation of 4,700 feet, 0.6 miles west of the final radar return.

According to the pilot's mother, who resided in Rutherfordton, the pilot departed in the accident airplane from Central Florida the day prior to the accident, arriving in Rutherfordton at about 2000. She picked him up from the airport and drove him back to her house. Later that night she observed him checking the weather on his computer and he reported that the, "weather is fine." She stated that he went to bed at 2230 and rose at 0305 the following morning. She drove him to the airport at 0400 and recalled that he loaded two additional airplane seats into the airplane.

A friend of the pilot reported that he was due to meet him at ORK at 1100 on the day of the accident. He stated that on the night prior, the pilot called him and reported that he would depart from FQD at 0700. They intended to fly onward to North Dallas to attend a seminar. He noted that the seminar was a 2-day event, however they planned to specifically fly in to be present for a 2-hour segment that was due to begin 1300. He did not recall if the pilot was due to speak at the seminar, however he noted that the pilot was always a popular figure at such events. They planned on departing for Lubbock, Texas at 1500.

Personnel information

The pilot, age 44, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He did not hold an instrument rating. Review of his pilot logbooks revealed that as of April 25, 2008, he had accumulated about 616 total hours of flight experience, which included about 66 hours in night conditions. His most recent flight review was completed on April 12, 2008.

Aircraft information

The low-wing, single-engine, Piper PA-32-260, was configured with seven seats and manufactured in 1966. Review of the airframe maintenance logbooks revealed the following notation at the annual inspection dated November 1, 2001, "Tach hourmeter is no longer accurate." A tachometer time of 89.9 hours was recorded for all subsequent annual inspections along with notations stating that the airplane flight hours were reported by the operator. The tachometer hourmeter was located in the airplane wreckage and displayed 89.9 hours. The Hobbs hourmeter device was not located in the airplane wreckage. The last annual inspection completed on the airplane and engine took place on October 24, 2007. At the time of the inspection, the total recorded airframe time was 2124.5 hours. At the time of the annual inspection, the six-cylinder Lycoming O-540-E4B5 engine had accrued 656.5 hours since the most recent major overhaul, which was performed in February 1979. Pitot static, altimeter, and transponder inspections were accomplished on October 16, 2007. The last logbook entry indicated that on Feb 20, 2008 the airplane received an avionics upgrade, which included the installation of a Garmin GNS430W GPS/Nav/Comm, a Garmin GTX330 mode S transponder, a PS Engineering PMA8000B audio panel, a SigmaTek 4000C directional gyro, an S-TEC system 30 autopilot, and an overhead mounted in-flight entertainment system.

Meteorological information

The closest official weather observation station to the accident site was AVL, located about 15 miles east of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 2,165 feet msl. An aviation routine weather report (METAR) was issued at 0554. It stated: winds from 330 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 31 knots; visibility 10 miles; skies 3,700 feet broken, 4,300 feet broken, 6,000 feet overcast; temperature 11 degrees Celsius; dew point 4 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.67 inches of mercury.

A METAR was issued for Shelby-Cleveland County Regional Airport (EHO), Shelby, North Carolina at 0500. The weather observation station was at an elevation of 847 feet msl and located 19.5 miles southeast of the departure airport. It stated: winds from 290 degrees at 3 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; skies 6,000 feet scattered, 7,000 feet broken, 8,000 feet broken; temperature 13 degrees Celsius; dew point 7 degrees Celsius; altimeter 29.58 inches of mercury.

Review of weather data by a National Transportation Safety Board meteorologist revealed a Surface Analysis chart prepared by the National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) for 0400 May 12, showed a strong, northwesterly flow over North Carolina.

At 2245 on May 11, The NWS had issued high wind warnings and an airman's meteorological information AIRMET for moderate turbulence and high winds in the accident area.

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-12 (GOES-12) infrared digital data centered on the accident location were obtained through the NOAA’s Comprehensive Large Array-data Stewardship System (CLASS). The data revealed that at the time of the accident a band of clouds existed over central-western North Carolina, and in the vicinity of Rutherfordton and Asheville. This band bordered the airplane's route of flight over Asheville. The data indicated that the radiative temperature at the approximate accident location for the nominal times of 0515 and 0532 was about –7 degrees C. During this time period the radiative temperature in the vicinity of Asheville was -2 degrees C.

The Greer Weather Surveillance Radar-1988, Doppler (KGSP WSR-88D) radar was the closest Doppler weather radar to the accident location. Data for this site was obtained from the NWS. The data for the altitude scan between 1,900 feet and 12,000 feet at 0531:21 revealed an area of reflectivity with intensities between +12 and -8 decibels in the vicinity of the airplane. FAA radar data revealed that during the time period of 0530:25 to 0532:16 the, airplane's radar return descended from 8,300 feet to 6,100 feet.

North American Model (NAM) winds aloft data for the area obtained from the NWS NCEP, predicted that at the time of the accident, the area winds at 7,000 feet would have been out of the northwest at a velocity of about 60 knots.

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory, Astronomical Applications Department, sunrise occurred in Asheville on the day of the accident at 0627 with civil twilight beginning at 0559.

Communications

The FAA reported that there was no record of a pilot preflight weather briefing, nor was there any record of the pilot communicating with any FAA facilities during the accident flight. According to Computer Science Corporation (CSC) Direct User Access Terminal System (DUATS) records, the pilot