SEA96FA137

The pilot initiated a landing on a 6,000 by 30 foot paved airstrip. Both edges of the airstrip dropped off into drainage ditches immediately beyond the edges of the pavement. There was a crosswind from the right, which was variable and gusty. The density altitude was over 7,300 feet. Witnesses stated the aircraft touched down two to three times during the landing, and the pilot appeared to have difficulty maintaining a straight path on the pavement. A photo showed the aircraft's right main gear at the edge of the pavement as it approached the end of the landing area. The witnesses said that close to the end of the landing area, the aircraft became airborne again, climbed about 20 to 75 feet above ground level, and started a left turn. The aircraft's left wing then dropped, and the aircraft crashed. The airstrip had a 60 to 80 foot high ridge along its west edge for its entire length, and there was a 361 foot hill about 1/3 mile beyond the end of the airstrip with higher mountainous terrain beyond the hill. Flap system components were found in the up position at the accident site; the aircraft's flaps-up/gear-up stall speed was 71 MPH at 20 degrees bank and 79 MPH at 40 degrees bank. No preimpact mechanical failure or malfunction of the aircraft or engine was found. About 18 miles north at Livingston, MT, the 1249 mdt wind was from 220 degrees at 18 gusting 27 knots.

History of flight

On June 27, 1996, approximately 1233 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-180, N7529J, was destroyed in a collision with terrain following a loss of control during an aborted landing at the Chico Hot Springs Lodge airstrip near Pray, Montana. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. Another passenger was seriously injured. The 14 CFR 91 flight originated at Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed.

The surviving passenger submitted a written statement through her attorney, in which she characterized the flight from Salt Lake as "very smooth and uneventful" before the accident. However, she stated that she had no recollection of the accident sequence beyond the point at which the airplane cleared a car which was blocking the approach end of the airstrip to vehicle traffic. She did recall the pilot referring to an airport directory before landing at the lodge, but did not recall him "asking anyone at Chico about the winds, which he usually did in the past trips there," or being given wind information by the lodge airstrip operators over the UNICOM frequency on which the lodge airstrip operates.

Witnesses to the accident reported that the airplane touched down two to three times during its landing attempt. One witness reported that during one touchdown, he observed the airplane drift to the west edge of the pavement and then become airborne again. The witnesses stated that as the airplane approached the end of the landing surface, it became airborne and climbed to an altitude between 20 and 75 feet above ground level. It then began to turn left. The witnesses stated that the left bank then abruptly increased to an approximate 90-degree left wing down attitude. The airplane's nose then dropped and it impacted in a field east of the road. The airplane cartwheeled and came to rest inverted. Some witnesses reported that just before the crash, they heard the airplane's engine "gunning."

One witness was taking pictures of the aircraft as it landed, from a vantage point south of the south end of the strip. This witness shot a series of four pictures (attached) of the accident aircraft during the accident sequence. The first two pictures showed the aircraft during its attempted landing. In the first picture, the aircraft was distant, just above the ground, and the south end windsock was fully extended with a 60-degree right crosswind. The second photo showed the aircraft's right main gear at the west edge of the pavement; the south end windsock was almost fully extended and showed almost a direct right crosswind. The third photo captured the instant of ground impact. It showed the aircraft striking the ground at approximately 30 degrees nose down and 90 degrees left wing down. The south end windsock in this photo was extended about half-way and showed about a 45-degree right crosswind. The final photo showed the aircraft lying inverted with its left wing broken off and a fire burning in the engine compartment.

The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at approximately 45 degrees 20.4 minutes North and 110 degrees 41.7 minutes West.

Personnel information

The pilot had logged over half of his total time in the accident aircraft, including 25 hours in the accident aircraft in the previous 90 days. A test report for an FAA Commercial Pilot computerized knowledge examination dated March 31, 1996, was found in the pilot's personal effects in the aircraft wreckage. The pilot had scored 93 percent on the exam, with the following subject area codes listed as missed: I27 (Air Masses and Fronts), I44 (Surface Analysis Chart), H66 (Principles of Flight and Performance Characteristics), I08 (Using the Navigation Instruments), H02 (Airplanes and Engines), and H04 (Airplane Performance). Documents were also found in the pilot's personal effects indicating completion of Phase II of the FAA Pilot Proficiency Award (Wings) Program on May 29, 1995; and attendance at four FAA Wings Program safety seminars since 1992, most recently on June 24, 1995 for Phase III of the program.

The surviving passenger, in her written statement, stated: "[The pilot] was, to the best of my knowledge, a well trained and competent pilot. I had no hesitation flying with him. I had total trust in [the pilot], having flown with him in difficult circumstances before, which he handled well....I had flown...to Chico Hot Springs with him on four prior occasions. Each time we flew to Chico, we would land on the same strip where the accident happened several times, so I had flown with [him] to landings on this strip about 20 times total." The pilot's logbook contained one entry documenting a previous trip to Chico Hot Springs, in June-July 1990. The pilot logged five flights and six landings at the airstrip for that trip.

Aircraft information

According to the Piper Cherokee Arrow Owner's Handbook, the aircraft has a main gear wheel tread (the distance between the main gear wheels) of 10 feet 6 inches. At 2,500 pounds gross weight, zero bank angle, and power off, its flaps-down/gear-down stall speed is 63 MPH, and its flaps-up/gear-up stall speed is 69 MPH. These speeds increase to 65 and 71 MPH, respectively, at 20 degrees bank; and to 72 and 79 MPH, respectively, at 40 degrees bank.

According to the aircraft owner's handbook, at 7,000 feet density altitude, on a paved level dry runway, and at a gross weight of 2,500 pounds, the aircraft's landing ground roll distance is 990 feet with 40 degrees of flaps. The chart does not give landing distance data for density altitudes over 7,000 feet. The aircraft's rate of climb at 7,500 feet density altitude is given as approximately 470 feet per minute, at 2,500 pounds gross weight with gear and flaps retracted.

Meteorological information

The surviving passenger stated that the pilot told her he obtained a weather briefing before departure. She stated that she did not know "if he obtained it in person at the weather office...or by phone to a flight service station", although she said he "told us it was clear to Chico...."

Winds at Livingston, Montana, 18 nautical miles north-northeast of the accident site, were reported at 220 degrees magnetic at 18 knots, gusting to 27 knots, at 1249. Witnesses to the accident also reported that strong and gusty right quartering headwinds existed at the accident site at speeds estimated up to 40 knots. In a post-accident interview with investigators, the lodge manager responsible for airstrip operations stated that such conditions existed in the area "about 50 percent of the time."

Based on the temperature and altimeter setting reported in the 1249 Livingston observation, and Livingston's field elevation of 4,656 feet, Livingston density altitude was 7,356 feet. The Chico Hot Springs Lodge airstrip elevation is 5,280 feet.

Aerodrome and ground facilities

The Chico Hot Springs Lodge airstrip consists of a 6,000-foot-long by 30-foot-wide section of paved public road north of the lodge complex. Investigators at the accident site measured the landing direction at 151 degrees magnetic. Before an aircraft lands at the airstrip, the road is blocked to vehicle traffic by positioning vehicles at each end of the landing area. The landing surface has a 60-to-80-foot-high ridge adjacent and parallel to the west edge of the road along its entire length. A hill rising to 5,641 feet above sea level (361 feet above the airstrip elevation) is located 1/3 statute mile beyond the south end of the landing area, with mountainous terrain rising immediately beyond the hill. Both sides of the airstrip have an abrupt drop-off of 1 to 2 feet into drainage ditches immediately beyond the pavement edges. The airstrip has a windsock at each end of the landing area. Both windsocks appeared to be functional and in good condition dur