SEA03FA173

The aircraft departed about 1020 bound for its destination. An onboard Global Positioning System (GPS) system, which was recovered at the accident site, retained latitude, longitude, time and altitude for the flight. The GPS data showed the pilot turning north and then initiating a descent from 11,000 feet approximately 45 minutes after takeoff. The data tracked the aircraft through the descent and a turn to the east and then through approximately 135 degrees of right turn to ground impact. Witnesses at a temporary firefighting landing site located a half mile southwest of the crash site and equipped with a windsock and helicopter observed the aircraft fly west to east slightly north of the landing site and roughly parallel to the axis of the landing area. They observed the landing gear extend and watched the aircraft execute a descending right turn as if the aircraft were lining up to land at the helibase. One witness commented that the aircraft was "moving extremely slow, at/near stall speed" and another witness remarked that the aircraft "appeared to stall" descending vertically to ground impact. On site examination revealed a near vertical (83 degree) ground impact along with evidence of high rotational energy of the propeller immediately before/at ground impact. The aircraft's last GPS target showed it at an altitude of 5,666 feet and the ground impact was at 5,410 feet. The aircraft's track from the 90 degree position of the approach through the 135 degree position placed it over rapidly up sloping terrain ascending more than 200 feet during this 45 degree arc of the approach turn. The terrain was heavily populated with conifer trees approximately 75 feet in height and a high tension power line traversed the top of the hill slightly below tree top level. Post-crash examination revealed no indication of control discontinuity or powerplant malfunction. Examination of the aircraft's fuel system found fuel at the fuel flow divider, both gas caps secured and no evidence of fuel staining at the low point (belly) drain or on the exterior of the aircraft.

History of flight

On August 26, 2003, at 1109 mountain daylight time a Piper PA-32R-300, N6126J, registered to River Rock Ranch Inc., and being operated and flown by a private pilot, was destroyed during a loss of control and subsequent in flight collision with terrain while turning base to land at the Knox Ranch fire camp landing site one nautical mile north of Warm Lake, Idaho. Both the pilot and his wife, and the pilot's dog sustained fatal injuries and there was no post-crash fire. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14 CFR 91, and originated from Hailey, Idaho, at 1019 on the morning of the accident. The reported destination of the flight was Priest River, Idaho.

According to personnel assigned to the air traffic control tower at Friedman memorial airport (Hailey, Idaho), the pilot of N6126J called the tower via radio at 1012 for clearance to taxi for departure from runway 31. At 1019, the pilot again called the tower and requested clearance for takeoff, which was granted (refer to Attachment AT-I). The controller, who watched the aircraft depart, was telephonically interviewed by the Investigator-in-Charge and reported that he saw no vapor, smoke or objects coming off or from the aircraft during its takeoff and initial climb north of the airport.

A witness located 4.5 nautical miles northwest of the Friedman Memorial airport reported observing an aircraft flying northbound about 1015 on the morning of the accident. He indicated the aircraft was less than one-half mile east of his position and about 2,000 to 3,000 feet above ground level (AGL), and he observed a symmetrical "moisture plume" trailing about one airplane length back behind the aircraft before it dissipated. The engine sounded "strong" and he observed/heard nothing else that he considered unusual about the aircraft (refer to Attachment W-I). Global Positioning System (GPS) data extracted from an onboard Garmin GPS295 from N6126J showed the aircraft departing Hailey about 1022 local time, tracking north while climbing and passing slightly east of this witness's location at 1025-1026 (refer to Table GPS-I and Chart I).

The next known witness was located at the Stolle Meadows area (refer to Chart II). He reported in a telephonic interview observing an aircraft flying north-northwest bound at 1104 on the morning of the accident. The aircraft remained wings level and in a shallow descent during his observations and he observed no vapor, smoke or objects trailing from the aircraft during his observations. He further reported hearing two distinct engine "revving" sounds and indicated that the engine continued to run smoothly but at less than expected power. He reported that as the aircraft disappeared from view to the north-northwest he heard the engine producing what he described as a "continuous backfiring and missing" sound (refer to Attachment RTC-I). GPS data extracted from the onboard Garmin GPS295 from N6126J showed the aircraft approximately two nautical miles south of the witness tracking north-northwest in level flight at 1104 (refer to Table GPS-I and Chart II). As the aircraft passed a location approximately one nautical mile southwest of the witness the GPS data show the beginning of a descent from the 11,000-10,900 foot level. Between the time the aircraft was due west of the witness (1105:03 target) and the 1105:59 target, the aircraft had descended 1,290 feet (in 56 seconds) and traversed approximately 9,700 feet laterally.

A number of firefighting personnel, including a pilot, observed the aircraft prior to and through the accident sequence. They were located at the Knox Ranch Incident Command Post helibase (ICP) approximately 2,000-3,000 feet southwest of the accident site (refer to AIRPORT INFORMATION for additional information on this site). The witnesses reported observing a single engine aircraft that first appeared west of the ICP flying roughly eastbound and passing slightly north of the ICP. The landing gear were observed to extend and the aircraft was observed making a right turn through the south and continuing toward a westbound heading when it disappeared behind trees. Descriptions including the engine sounding "normal," "running," "as though it was struggling," "like it was running too lean," "as if it was missing," and "to not be running quite right." One witness commented that the "...plane was making an er[r]atic banking turn to the right approx[imately] 300'-500' above the ground..." and that "...the plane continued its turn to the right getting steeper and steeper...." Another witness reported, "...it was moving extremely slow, at/near stall speed..." and he "...saw the landing gear come down, and the aircraft started to turn as if to line up to land at the helibase. As it turned it appeared to stall and went vertical as it disappeared from sight..." (refer to Attachment WS-I).

Personnel information

The pilot had been issued a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land/instrument ratings on May 25, 1995. He received a Third class medical examination August 23, 2002, with the restriction that "holder shall wear corrective lenses. Not valid for night flight or by color signal control." It could not be determined whether the pilot was in compliance with the requirement to wear corrective lenses at the time of the accident.

The pilot reported a total of 1,800 hours of flight experience as of his last medical (August 23, 2002). Additionally, a review of the pilots logbooks showed the pilot opening his first logbook with an instructional flight on August 2, 1990. The first flight logged in the PA-32R-300 was noted on March 7, 1992, and all flight experience logged in this make/model was in N6126J. The pilot's first logbook terminated with an entry on December 31, 1999. The pilot's second logbook opened on January 2, 2000, and the last logged entry was noted on November 21, 2000. The pilot's logs showed that he was flying N6126J almost exclusively. Aircraft records showed a total time of 323 hours flown in N6126J between December 20, 2000, and the day of the accident. The logbook flight time coupled with the previously determined aircraft flight time yielded an approximate total flight time of 1,800 hours of which 1,556 hours were in the make/model (N6126J) and 1,550 were pilot-in-command in the aircraft.

The second (most recent) logbook contained a single flight review notation showing that the pilot had completed a biennial flight review on February 1, 2000. No more current flight review was noted within the logbook. The flight instructor who conducted the February 2000 review reported that he conducted another flight review with the pilot on August 3, 2003. However, he did not sign the flight review off.

Aircraft information

N6126J, a Piper PA-32R-300, was manufactured in 1976 and acquired by the pilot in May of 1992. The aircraft's most recent airframe/engine annual inspection was noted in the aircraft's logbooks as being conducted on August 15, 2002. The airframe total time at that inspection was 3,269 hours and the total time since the last major engine overhaul was logged as 408.5 hours.

According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the aircraft was equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear that were electrically actuated and hydraulically operated and incorporated a pressure sensing device which automatically lowered the landing gear regardless of selector position as a function of airspeed and engine power. The most recent reference to this system was noted within the aircraft's airframe logbook in an entry dated 22 April 92 that stated in part "...adjusted auto-extend...." No further entries within the log referenced this system and there was no evidence that either Part I or Part II of Piper Service Bulletin 866A (refer to Attachment SB-I) had been complied with.