N31XL

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 3, 2001, about 1611 central daylight time, a Piper PA-31-T2, N31XL, registered to Falcon Communications, Inc., crashed near Jackson, Tennessee, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 corporate flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed and the commercial-rated pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from Malden, Missouri, the same day, about 1525.

Transcript of communications, from the FAA Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center, show that at 1526:49, the pilot of N31XL reported to the controller that they were off Malden, Missouri, and requesting a instrument flight rules clearance to Fulton County Airport, Atlanta, Georgia. The pilot was given the clearance and told to climb and maintain 23,000 feet. At 1550:52, the pilot reported the flight was level at 23,000 feet. At 1552:15, the pilot of N31XL reported that he had a problem with an engine and needed to shut it down and find somewhere to land. The controller reported to the pilot that the flight was over the McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport, Jackson, Tennessee, and that the flight could descend to 7,000 feet. At 1553:42, the pilot was told that the airport was seven miles behind him. The pilot responded that he was trying to get down and would keep circling. The controller cleared the flight to circle as necessary and to descend to 2,500 feet. At 1601:47, the pilot reported that the flight was descending through 8,000 feet and request that the flight be set up for the instrument landing system approach to runway 2 at McKellar-Sipes. The controller instructed the pilot to maintain 3,500 feet and to fly heading 185 degrees for radar vectors to the final approach course.

At 1602:26, the controller asked the pilot to confirm his previous transmission that he did not need the emergency equipment standing by at the airport. The pilot confirmed he did not need the emergency equipment. At 1603:21, the controller asked the pilot which engine was shutdown. The pilot responded the left engine was shutdown. At 1606:12, the controller instructed the pilot to fly heading 200. The pilot acknowledged. At 1606:51, the controller instructed the pilot to maintain 3,500 feet. The pilot acknowledged. At 1607:12, the controller asked the pilot if he was turning right to 200 degrees. The pilot responded "one xray lima we got a prop runaway here we're gonna have to make a three sixty to come down to two zero zero for xray lima". At 1607:29, the pilot reported the flight was in visual flight rules conditions and requested radar vectors to the airport. The controller instructed the pilot to fly heading 340 degrees to the airport. The controller also stated he could give the flight a lower altitude, but would lose radar contact with the flight. The pilot responded that would be fine and the controller cleared the flight to 2,500 feet.

At 1609:34, the controller reported to the pilot that radar contact was lost, to report the airport in sight, and to expect a visual approach to runway 2. At 1609:59, the controller asked the pilot his distance from the airport. The pilot responded about 10 miles. The controller asked if the flight was in good visual flight rules conditions. The pilot responded that a cloud deck had just passed under him but that he should be able to intercept the localizer course for runway 2. At 1610:52, the controller instructed the pilot to contact the McKellar-Sipes Airport controller on frequency 127.15. The pilot asked for the frequency again and the controller repeated it. At 1611:04, the pilot responded "twenty seven fifteen one xray lima". No further communications were received from the pilot. (See transcripts of communications).

Recorded radar data from the FAA Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center showed the flight climbed to and reached 23,000 feet at 1549:18, at a position about 20 nm south of McKellar-Sipes Airport. The flights groundspeed was 212 knots at this time. The flight maintained about 23,000 feet, on a 148 degree heading, and accelerated to a groundspeed of 241 knots. At 1553:02, the flight began a descent, and entered a right turn. The airplane continued in the turning descent with the groundspeed fluctuating between 150 and 200 knots until about 1606, when it had completed a 360 degree turn and was now flying a southerly heading, at 3,500 feet, at a 182 knot groundspeed. At about 1607, the flight began a left turn, descended to 2,600 feet, and decelerated to 119 knots groundspeed. At 1607:50, the flight was lost from radar about 14 nm, on a heading of 160 degrees from the McKellar-Sipes Airport and about 7 nm, on a heading of 145 degrees from the accident site. The flight was flying on a 121 degree heading, at 2,600 feet, at a 119 knot groundspeed. (See radar data).

A witness located about 7 miles southeast of the accident site, in the area that the airplane was last observed on radar, stated that he was inside his house and his attention was drawn to the airplane by the sound of the airplane's engines. One engine was surging. He went outside and observed the airplane to the south of his position. The airplane was flying on a east-southeast heading at an estimated altitude of 2,000-2,500 feet agl. He lost view of the airplane behind trees, but continued to hear the engine surging and it appeared the airplane was making a left turn. The airplane came back into view to the northeast of his position and it had descended to between 1,000 and 1,500 feet agl, and was flying on a west-northwest heading. He lost sight of the airplane to the north-northwest of his position.

Another witness located about 7 miles from the accident site, in the area that radar contact was lost, stated that he, his wife, and his son, observed the airplane from their house, flying toward the northeast at about 1,000 feet agl. The airplane then made a 90-degree heading change toward the northwest, heading in the direction of the McKellar-Sipes Airport. The landing gear was not down and they observed no smoke coming from the airplane. One of the engines RPM was oscillating and the other engine sounded like the propeller was feathered and the engine was running, sounding more like a helicopter. The airplanes nose was pitched up and he thought the pilot was searching for a place to put the airplane down. They lost site of the airplane behind trees.

Witnesses near the accident site observed the airplane flying at an altitude of 150 feet, below a cloud layer. The airplane was flying from the southeast toward the northwest. The airplane then made a gradual turn to the left and then suddenly turned fast to the left. The engines sounded like they would speed up and then slow down. They lost sight of the airplane behind trees, heading to the west. The engines were not running smooth and he heard engine noise stop, then start, and then stop again. About 10 seconds later, they heard tree branches breaking and then a loud pop sound. They went in the direction they last saw the airplane and located the airplane wreckage. A small fire was burning in the nose and right engine area of the airplane. (See witness statements).

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot held a FAA commercial pilot certificate with airplane single engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings, issued on May 5, 1989. The pilot held a FAA certified flight instructor certificate with airplane single engine land, airplane multiengine land, and instrument airplane ratings, issued on March 17, 2000. The pilot held a FAA first class medical certificate, issued on October 17, 2000, with the limitation that the bearer must wear corrective lenses while exercising the privileges of the certificate. Logbook records show the pilot had accumulated about 9,500 total flight hours, about 9,390 flight hours as pilot-in-command, and 13 flight hours in the Piper PA-31-T2 airplane. The pilot attended the FlightSafety International, Piper Cheyenne I/IA/II/IIXL Pilot Initial Training Course, at Lakeland, Florida, between May 21 and May 25, 2001. During the course the pilot obtained 10 flight hours in a flight simulator for the airplane, and completed a biennial flight review and an instrument proficiency check. (See pilot records).

The pilot-rated passenger seated in the right front seat of the airplane held a FAA private pilot certificate with a airplane single engine land rating, issued on October 2, 2000. The pilot-rated passenger held a FAA third class medical certificate with no limitations, issued on July 1, 1999. FAA records show that at the time the pilot-rated passenger received the private pilot certificate, he reported having 64 total flight hours with 25 flight hours as pilot-in-command. (See supplement E).

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The airplane was a Piper Aircraft Corporation model PA-31-T2, registration number N31XL, serial number 31T-8166003, manufactured in August 1981. The airplane was equipped with 2 Pratt and Whitney Canada model PT6A-135, 620 horsepower engines, and 2 Hartzell model HC-B3TN-3B/T10178B-8R propellers.

Logbook records show that on December 3, 1998, at airplane total time 5852.6, the left propeller governor control cable was replaced and rigged. Federal Aviation Administration records show the airplane received damage during a landing gear retracted landing at Lexington, Kentucky, on August 2, 1999. Logbook records show that on September 23, 1999, at airplane total time 5962.4, the left and right engines were removed for a sudden stoppage inspection. On April 18, 2000, the engines and repaired propellers were reinstalled on the airplane, and after some repairs to the airframe, the airplane was ferried from Lexington, Kentucky, to Washington, Pennsylvania. On July 11, 2000, at airplane total time 5964.6, after additional repairs and accomplishment of an Event No. 1 and No. 2/Annual Inspection, in accordance with the Piper ...