N6126J

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.

The aircraft was equipped with a Garmin model GPS295 global positioning system. The unit, which was recovered at the accident site, was capable of recording and storing latitude, longitude, time and altitude.

The aircraft was topped off with 100 low lead aviation octane fuel at Sun Valley Aviation following its arrival at Sun Valley on August 22nd. The aircraft had a capacity of 94 gallons of usable fuel.

According to documentation within the weight and balance section of the Pilot's Operating Handbook for N6126J, the aircraft's basic empty weight (as of 06/15/1999) was about 2,144 pounds. The pilot weighed 225 at his last medical and the weights of the passenger, dog and baggage were approximately 130, 90 and 200 pounds respectively. The weight of the fuel at takeoff would have been approximately 564 pounds and the estimated weight of the aircraft at takeoff would have been 3,353 pounds. The maximum gross takeoff weight is 3,600 pounds. The stall speed for the PA-32R-300 as a function of weight, flap position, and angle of bank is shown in Attachment SP-I.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The aviation surface weather observation taken at McCall, Idaho, 22 nautical miles west-northwest of the accident for 1050 on the morning of the accident reported in part:

Sky condition clear, wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature/dew point 17/07 degrees Celsius respectively and altimeter 30.09 inches of Mercury.

The fire crew at the Knox Ranch Helibase recorded the following weather conditions at 1030 on the morning of the accident:

Sky condition mostly cloudy, winds calm and "starting to pick up slightly" and temperature/dew point 63/53 degrees Fahrenheit respectively.

AERODROME INFORMATION

The Knox Ranch helibase was a temporary firefighting facility equipped with a windsock at its east end. A helicopter was parked at the facility at the time of the accident. The level portion of the facility was walked and measured, and an approximate landing area 1,700 feet in length was...