N8820P

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 24, 2008, about 1901 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260, N8820P, was destroyed when it departed controlled flight and impacted trees and terrain near Red Hill, Virginia, while being vectored for an instrument approach to Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), Charlottesville, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. The personal flight was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport, and the flight operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan.

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Lockheed Martin Services (LMS) information, about 1633 the pilot telephoned LMS, and filed an IFR flight plan from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), Asheville, North Carolina to Orange County Airport (OMH), Orange, Virginia. The pilot filed CHO as the alternate airport, which was 25 miles west-southwest of OMH. About 1726, the airplane departed AVL.

Air traffic control (ATC) radar tracking data indicated that the airplane's cruise altitude was 7,000 feet above mean sea level (msl). About 9 minutes prior to the accident, the pilot requested the "GPS-8" instrument approach procedure (IAP) to OMH. About 6 minutes prior to the accident, when the airplane was 45 miles southwest of OMH, ATC cleared it to descend to 4,000 feet. Approximately 2 minutes after the descent clearance was issued, the pilot radioed ATC that the visibility at OMH was "right at the minimums," and requested a diversion to CHO for the instrument landing system (ILS) approach to runway 3. ATC approved the request, and issued a corresponding heading change to "three six zero" degrees. Two minutes after the heading change instruction, ATC cleared the airplane for the approach. Two minutes later, three "mayday" calls, presumed to be from the accident airplane, were broadcast in rapid succession on the frequency. No further transmissions were received from the accident airplane.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate, with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot’s logbook indicated that as of October 12, 2008, he had accumulated approximately 1,070 total hours of flight experience, including 180 hours at night, 157 hours in complex airplanes, 82 hours of actual instrument time, and 75 hours of simulated instrument time. His logbook indicated that he had 71 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot's most recent flight review was in January 2008, and his most recent instrument flight proficiency check was in April 2008. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in August 2007.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

According to FAA and Piper information, the accident airplane was manufactured in 1965. In 1981, and again from 1983 to 1985, the airplane was registered in Canada. The accident pilot was approximately the seventh owner of the airplane; he acquired it in March 2007.

The airplane was a four place, low wing model of all metal construction, with electrically actuated, retractable, tricycle-configuration landing gear. Primary flight controls included a stabilator, which functioned as both the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. Secondary flight controls included electrically-actuated flaps, and manually-actuated stabilator pitch trim. The airplane was equipped with an autopilot.

Maintenance records indicate that in 1992, several aftermarket speed modifications were installed on the airplane. The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540 piston engine, and a McCauley three blade, constant-speed propeller. The engine was overhauled by Teledyne Mattituck Services, and installed on the airplane in October 2000. The logbook entry for the installation of the overhauled engine indicated that the airplane had accumulated a total time in service of 9,270 hours, the tachometer registered 6,656 hours, and the engine had accumulated a total time in service of 3,965 hours, with 0 (zero) hours since major overhaul (SMOH).

The most recent annual inspection was accomplished in October 2007. At that time, the airplane had accumulated a total time in service of 9,460 hours, the tachometer registered 6,866 hours, and the engine had accumulated a total time in service of 4,165 hours, with 200 hours SMOH. The final maintenance entries were dated August 8, 2008, and listed a tachometer time of 6,921.8 hours. The engine tachometer was rendered unreadable by the accident. According to the pilot's logbook, he had flown the airplane approximately 71 hours since the October 2007 annual inspection. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was unable to determine whether any other persons also flew the airplane during the period between the 2007 annual inspection and the accident.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

Local sunset occurred at 1823. The 1853 recorded weather observation at CHO included zero wind, 10 miles visibility, broken ceiling at 1,900 feet, overcast ceiling at 2,600 feet, temperature 11 degrees C, dew point 8 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.24 inches of mercury. The 1900 OMH observation included winds from 010 degrees at 4 knots, 10 miles visibility, broken ceiling at 1,900 feet, overcast ceiling at 2,600 feet, temperature 12 degrees C, dew point 10 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.27 inches of mercury.

AIRMETs for mountain obscuration and IFR conditions, and occasional moderate turbulence below 12,000 feet, were current for the route of flight. No Convective SIGMETs, SIGMETs, or Weather Watches were current for Virginia during the period of the flight.

Winds-aloft information indicated the presence of winds from the south, with velocities that ranged from 30 to 45 knots for the flight altitudes and the geographic regions of the diversion and the accident. Weather radar summary data indicated that a band of echoes associated with rain and rain showers was present at the location where the pilot decided to divert to CHO, and extended to the accident site. The weather radar information also indicated the presence of wind shear values from 12 to 18 knots along the edges of the echo and in the vicinity of the flight track, which were consistent with an encounter with moderate to severe turbulence along the flight track.

The freezing level varied between 9,000 and 12,000 feet msl along the route of flight.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

The straight-in minima for the GPS-8 IAP to OMH were 1,120 feet msl minimum descent altitude and 1 mile visibility, and the circling minima were 1,360 feet msl, and 1 1/4 miles visibility. The straight-in minima for the ILS IAP to CHO runway 3 were 856 feet msl, and 1/2 mile visibility.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The accident site was located in a wooded area, approximately 12 miles south of CHO. The debris field measured approximately 400 feet long and 100 feet wide. The debris path was oriented along a magnetic heading of approximately 195 degrees.

The outboard 3 feet of the right stabilator was the first component in the debris path. A corresponding segment from the left stabilator was the next item in the debris path; this component was located 15 feet southwest of the right stabilator segment. The third item in the debris path was the inboard 3 feet of the left stabilator. This was located approximately 70 feet south-southwest of the outboard left stabilator segment. No impact damage was observed on these components, and the trees in the vicinity of these components were undisturbed.

Witness marks indicated that the airplane first struck trees at a height of approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl), approximately 200 feet beyond the first stabilator segment. Wing, aileron and flap segments were distributed along the debris path subsequent to the tree strikes, and the components exhibited impact damage. All fuel tanks were fragmented. The initial ground impact point was a crater that measured approximately 15 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. The crater was approximately 250 feet beyond the first stabilator segment. The main wreckage, comprised primarily of cockpit, cabin and inboard wing sections, and the main landing gear, was located 50 feet beyond the initial ground impact point. The engine was the final component in the debris path, and was located 100 feet beyond the main wreckage.

The cockpit/cabin area was essentially upright, with significant crush, disruption and fracture damage. The aft fuselage/tailcone and portions of the empennage also exhibited significant crush damage, and were located east of the initial ground impact point. The inboard section of the right stabilator, and most of the vertical fin, remained attached to the aft fuselage/tailcone.

One propeller blade was found separated from the propeller hub, approximately 60 feet west of the initial ground impact crater. The blade was bent approximately 110 degrees aft at the outboard end, and exhibited trailing edge S-bending, and slight chordwise scratching. The other two blades were found in the crater, with one attached to the hub. The blade attached to the hub was bent 20 degrees forward in an arc starting at the two-thirds span point. The outboard 6 inches of the other blade was bent aft 15 degrees, and the blade had two 1/2 inch radius bends in the trailing edge near the two-thirds span point.

The engine was found inverted approximately 150 feet beyond, and on terrain 30 feet higher than, the impact crater. There was evidence of a small fire in the vegetation surrounding one of the mufflers. The engine was devoid of most accessories, intake and exhaust tubing, and mounting hardware. All cylinders were attached and relatively intact, including their valve covers. The oil sump was impact-separated, and the engine case was cracked in several locations. A hole in the forward bottom of the cra...