N269JW

On June 25, 2010, about 1430 central daylight time, a Piper PA-36-285 airplane, N269JW, was substantially damaged following impact with terrain and a building near Fremont, Nebraska. The commercial pilot was seriously injured. The repositioning flight originated from Tekamah (TQE), Nebraska, about 1400 and was en route to a private airstrip near Sutton, Nebraska. The flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

A witness, who as driving down a road, observed the airplane flying erratically towards him as if to land. The airplane then made a sharp turn towards a small alfalfa field next to the road. The airplane hit a fence with its right wing and a fence and pole with the left wing, before it collided with a building on a farm. The witness recalled that the propeller was turning when he saw the airplane and four ground scars indicative of propeller strikes were found at the accident scene. The airplane’s empennage and left wing were separated from the fuselage. The pilot had no recollection of the accident.

A postaccident examination of the wreckage by Federal Aviation (FAA) Inspectors confirmed flight control continuity to all control surfaces. Fuel was found in the right fuel tank and the left tank was compromised and empty. No anomalies were noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation prior to impact. Each of the three propeller blades exhibited leading edge polishing and chord-wise scratches.

According to an FAA inspector, an annual inspection had been completed on the airplane on June 24, 2010, the day prior to the accident and the airplane had accumulated less than one hour of flight time since inspection. The engine had been overhauled in 2001, and had accumulated about 65 hours since overhaul at the time of the accident.