N432LT

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 18, 2012, about 1646 Alaska daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N432LT, was destroyed after an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain about 43 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The non-instrument rated private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to LNP Saratoga Inc., Palo Alto, California, and operated by West Valley Flying Club, Palo Alto. The airplane was being operated as a 14 CFR Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. At the time of the accident, instrument meteorological conditions were reported in the area of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airplane's point of departure. The accident flight originated at the Fort Yukon Airport, Fort Yukon, Alaska, about 1600, en route to Fairbanks, the flight's final destination for the day.

According to the leader of the group the accident pilot was flying with, the accident airplane was the third of three airplanes that were touring northern Canada and Alaska. On the day of the accident, the group was scheduled to fly from Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, to Fairbanks. The first airplane in the group flew to Fairbanks uneventfully. The other two airplanes encountered deteriorating weather conditions while en route to Fairbanks, which required an unscheduled stop in Fort Yukon to refuel. There are no longer fueling services at Fort Yukon; however, the group was able to obtain fuel from a local operator to continue the flight. After departing Fort Yukon, the two airplanes again encountered marginal weather conditions. The pilot of one of the two airplanes requested, and received an instrument flight rules (IFR) clearance to Fairbanks. The accident airplane continued VFR, and the accident pilot reported to the pilot of the other airplane that he had found "a good VFR track."

About 1641, the accident pilot contacted the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) specialist on duty, requesting an IFR clearance direct to Fairbanks. The approach controller instructed the pilot to climb to 7,000 feet, and issued a clearance direct to Fairbanks. About 1645, the ARTCC lost radio and radar contact with the accident airplane. No further communications were received from the accident airplane, and the airplane did not arrive at Fairbanks. It was officially reported overdue at 1719.

After being notified of an overdue airplane, search and rescue personnel from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) began a search for the missing airplane near its last known location, close to an area known as the White Mountains. About 1948, the crew of the CAP airplane located the airplane's wreckage in an area of mountainous, tundra-covered terrain. Rescue personnel aboard an Air National Guard HH-60G helicopter reached the site later that night. A Pararescue Jumper (PJ) was lowered to the accident site, and confirmed that the airplane's occupants were deceased. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 63, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on July 13, 2009. The pilot was an Australian national, and his private pilot certificate was valid only when accompanied by his Australian pilot license, which was valid for airplane single-engine, tail-wheel, manual propeller pitch control, and retractable undercarriage. He held a valid Australian Class 2 medical certificate, issued May 16, 2012, with a limitation that reading correction must be available while exercising the privileges of this license.

No personal flight records were located for the pilot, but on his rental agreement application to the West Valley Flying Club, dated March 12, 2012, he indicated a total flight time of 804 hours. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe six-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 3213099, was manufactured in 1995. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 300-hp engine, and equipped with a Hartzell model HC-I3YR-1RF/F7663DR constant-speed propeller.

At the last 100-hour inspection, completed on June 26, 2012, the airplane had had total time in service of 3,243 hours. An engine overhaul was completed on February 19, 2004, at an airplane total time of 2,132.7 hours. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONA National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) meteorologist did a comprehensive study of the weather conditions along the airplane's route of flight. The synoptic or large scale migratory weather systems influencing the area were documented using standard National Weather Service (NWS) charts issued by the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) located in Camp Springs, Maryland. These are the base products used in describing weather features and in the creation of forecasts and warnings. Reference to these charts can be found in the joint NWS and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular "Aviation Weather Services", AC 00-45.

The NWS Surface Analysis Chart for 1600 ADT July 18, 2012 (0000Z on July 19, 2012) depicted a low pressure system at 1007-hectopascals (hPa) over the Gulf of Alaska with an associated occluded frontal system and a secondary trough of low pressure extending into southern Alaska over the Kenai Peninsula to the south of the accident site. Over northwestern Alaska a stationary front was located over the Northern and Interior Seward Peninsula impacting the Nome area. A high pressure ridge extended over southwestern Alaska. A col or neutral point between the low and high pressure areas extended over the accident site. (A copy of the full Meteorology Report is included in the public docket for this accident.)

The station models for the Fairbanks area depicted calm wind, sky overcast, a temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit (F), a dew point temperature of 44 degrees F, sea level pressure of 1015.5-hPa, with a falling pressure tendency. The station model immediately northwest of Fairbanks indicated a south-southwest wind at approximately 5 knots, light continuous rain, overcast clouds, with a temperature of 50° F and dew point of 49° F.

Fairbanks International Airport (PAFA) was located approximately 43 miles south of the accident at an elevation of 439 feet. The airport had an Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) and was augmented by a NWS certified observer. The airport lists a magnetic variation of 19° east, and reported the following conditions at the approximate time of the accident:

Fairbanks weather observation at 1653 ADT, wind from 190° at 3 knots, visibility unrestricted at 10 statute miles, a few clouds at 1,700 feet above ground level (agl), scattered clouds at 4,500 feet, and overcast at 7,000 feet, temperature 14° C, dew point 8° C, altimeter 29.95 inches of mercury. Remarks: automated observation system, sea level pressure 1014.6-hPa, temperature 13.9° C, dew point 7.8° C.

Rain was reported intermittently at Fairbanks between 1851 through 1142 on July 19, 2012 (0251Z-1942Z) with MVFR and IFR conditions during this period. (See meteorology report for the raw observations.) AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe six-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane, serial number 3213099, was manufactured in 1995. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 300-hp engine, and equipped with a Hartzell model HC-I3YR-1RF/F7663DR constant-speed propeller.

At the last 100-hour inspection, completed on June 26, 2012, the airplane had had total time in service of 3,243 hours. An engine overhaul was completed on February 19, 2004, at an airplane total time of 2,132.7 hours. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONContinuous poor weather conditions prevented the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC), along with an additional NTSB air safety investigator, and a Federal Aviation Administration operations inspector from the Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) from reaching the site until July 20.

The aircraft impacted on a brush and tundra-covered hillside in the foothills of the White Mountains, at an elevation of approximately 1,600 feet mean sea level. Portions of the fragmented airplane wreckage were scattered along a debris path oriented along a magnetic heading of 330 degrees, and measured about one-quarter mile in length.

The left wing separated from the airplane, and was found mostly intact. The aileron had separated from the attach points, and was located later by recovery personnel. The fuel cap was missing from the left wing, and was later found in Fort Yukon. It was determined that the missing fuel cap was not a factor in the accident.

The vertical stabilizer was found with the rudder attached.

The left horizontal stabilator separated from the airplane, and was found relatively undamaged in the wreckage path.

The right horizontal stabilator was not located during the initial on scene investigation, but was later found by recovery personnel.

The fuselage, engine, and right wing were located at the main wreckage site. All were extensively damaged by a postcrash fire.

All indications showed that the wings and horizontal stabilator failed under positive loads.

The engine and propeller were partially buried and received extensive thermal damage. On scene examination showed that one blade of the propeller separated at the hub, and showed slight S-bending, tip gouging, and a small portion of the tip was broken off. The other two blades showed slight aft bending, and showed no signs of gouging or rotational scoring. COMMUNICATIONSAt 1408, the pilot contacted the Fairbanks Flight Service Station (FFS), and stated that he and one other pilot in his group were unable to make it to Fairbanks due to weather, and they were landing at the Fort Yukon Airport. The pilot received an updated weather briefing, and informed the FSS that they would file another flight plan if they were able to depart for Fairbanks.

Radio recordings from the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) revealed that at 15:58:03, the pilot contacted Anchorage ARTCC sta...