N888TP

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 21, 2013, about 1406 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane, N888TP, impacted trees and terrain during a descent from cruise near Huntsville, Arkansas. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules (VFR) conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a VFR flight plan. The flight originated from the Thomas C Russell Field Airport (ALX), near Alexander City, Alabama, about 1045, and was destined for the Claremore Regional Airport (GCM), near Claremore, Oklahoma.

Flight service station records revealed that on October 20, 2013, the pilot representing N888TP obtained a preflight outlook weather briefing for a VFR flight departing on October 21, 2013, from ALX to GCM with an estimated time en route of four hours. On October 21, 2013, the pilot representing N888TP additionally obtained a preflight pilot briefing for a VFR flight departing at 1000 with an estimated time en route of four hours.

According to the fueling records, the airplane's fuel tanks were serviced with 57.74 gallons of aviation gasoline on October 18, 2013, at ALX. Following that fueling, a lineman at ALX helped load one suitcase, two hanging bags, and one set of golf clubs into a car. The pilot subsequently returned on October 21, 2013, and tried multiple times to start the engine. He was able to start the engine and the lineman indicated that the engine started without any "sputtering or popping." Additionally, the lineman did not see any black smoke during the engine start.

A mechanic at ALX observed the passenger and pilot board the aircraft without the pilot making a pre-flight inspection, which he thought was unusual since the aircraft had been tied down over the weekend and had sat in the rain. He then observed the pilot make numerous attempts to start the engine, "which almost completely drained the battery." The pilot was able to get the engine started without an external power source. The mechanic then observed him taxi out to the runway and depart runway 18 without ever doing a run up and/or magneto check."

The pilot was en route to GCM where he requested and was given VFR flight following. According to a transcript of recorded communications involving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Razorback East radar approach control frequency, the pilot checked on with an approach controller about 1354. The controller advised the pilot of the current local altimeter setting and queried his altitude. The pilot replied he was at 5,800 feet. About 1357, the pilot advised the controller that the flight was descending to 4,500 feet.

At 1357:42, the controller said, "november nine eight eight tango papa roger maintain v f r altitude your discretion i'm showing moderate to to heavy rain uh at your twelve o'clock and approximately uh two

miles it's uh just south along your route of flight and then there's a heavier area uh approximately fifteen miles uh west along your route of flight."

At 1358:01, the pilot replied, "eight eight eight tango papa v f r."

At 1404:18, the controller said, "november eight eight eight tango papa the uh weather that i'm showing is at your twelve o'clock and er precipitation returns are just at your twelve o'clock and about uh six miles uh about eight miles into that it uh uh is showing um heavy precipitation that's uh developing and building uh to the east."

At 1404:38, the pilot replied, "roger eight eight eight tango papa reckon we oughta do a one eighty."

At 1404:43, the controller said, "no sir eight eight eight tango papa if you uh take you to the north if you'd like vectors through it suggest heading three five zero towards huntsville and then once you get uh just uh west of huntsville i can turn you back to the west.

At 1405:54, the pilot replied, "alright eight eight eight tango papa three five zero."

At 1405:34, the controller said, "lance eight tango papa fly heading three six zero i'm going to leave you north bound for about uh five miles then i'll turn you back to the north west to get you clear of that weather."

At 1406:47, the pilot replied, "three six zero eight tango pop."

The controller queried the flight and no further transmissions from the accident pilot were recorded. The transcript is appended to the docket material associated with this investigation.

The airplane was observed on radar to descend at a high rate of speed following the turn and the Madison County Sheriff's Office was subsequently advised of coordinates for a possible airplane down. A search was conducted and responders using an emergency locator transmitter detector located the wreckage about 0845 on October 22, 2013. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot held a FAA private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating which was issued on April 25, 2013. The pilot took an initial check ride for his private pilot certificate on April 21, 2013. He did not pass that check ride and was given a notice of disapproval of application. The pilot was subsequently reexamined on the areas failed on that check ride, which were takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds, slow flight and stalls, and emergency operations. He held a FAA Third Class Medical Certificate dated January 23, 2013, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. The pilot reported on the application for that medical certificate that he had accumulated 45 hours of total flight time and 5 hours of flight time in the previous six months. The pilot reported to his airplane's insurance company that he had accumulated 204 hours of total flight time and accumulated 16 hours of flight time in the PA-32R-301 as of October 3, 2013. According to the pilot's logbook, he recorded that he had accumulated 224.7 hours of total flight time, 8.1 hours of simulated instrument flight time, 1.9 hours of actual instrument flight time, and 36.1 hours of flight time in the same make and model airplane as the accident airplane. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONN888TP was a 1997 Piper PA-32R-301 airplane with serial number 3246090. The airplane was a low-wing, all-metal, single-engine, six-place monoplane. It had a retractable tricycle landing gear configuration, and was powered by a fuel injected, six-cylinder, Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 engine, bearing serial number L-26058-48A, and was marked as producing 300-horsepower at 2,700 rpm. An airplane logbook endorsement showed that the airplane's last annual inspection was completed on September 16, 2013, and that the airplane had accumulated 2,325.3 hours of total time. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONA National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) senior meteorologist reviewed weather documents to include flight service station briefings given to the pilot representing N888TP. Those briefings indicated the pilot should expect VFR conditions to prevail along the route of flight with no significant flight restrictions. The meteorologists review revealed that National Weather Service (NWS) surfact analysis for 1300 depicted a cold front over the planned route of flight and immediately east of the accident site. The chart depicted overcast clouds with light continuous rain behind the front.

The NWS National radar mosaic for 1400 depicted a band of weather echoes from southern Missouri southwestward across northern Arkansas into eastern Oklahoma. The band of echoes was along the route of flight and over the accident site.

The closest weather reporting location, about 21 miles and 289 degrees from the accident site, at the Drake Field Airport (FYV), near Fayetteville, AR, reported a wind shift associated with the cold front passage with marginal VFR (MVFR) to temporary instrument flight rules (IFR) conditions in light to moderate rain behind the front. At 1353, the recorded weather at FYV was: wind calm; visibility 5 statute miles; present weather rain, mist; sky condition scattered clouds 800 feet, broken clouds 1,800 feet, overcast clouds 5,000 feet; temperature 10 degrees C; dew point 9 degrees C; altimeter 30.08 inches of mercury. The next closest reporting stations at the Springdale Municipal Airport, near Springdale, and the Boone County Airport, in Harrison, Arkansas, both reported VFR conditions with broken to overcast sky conditions with surrounding light rain.

The North American Mesoscale model sounding for 1300 over the accident site indicated a potential cloud base at 1,000 feet above ground level. The sounding was stable and supported nimbostratus type clouds capable of producing rain showers.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) no. 13 infrared satellite imagery at 1402 depicted an extensive band of low to mid-level clouds over the region associated with the frontal system. The GOES-13 visible image for 1402 also depicted an overcast cloud cover over the accident site with nimbostratus type clouds. The satellite and radar imagery, and lightning data did not identify any cumulonimbus clouds or thunderstorms in the immediate vicinity of the accident site.

The NWS Weather Surveillance Radar 0.5 degree base reflectivity images for 1401 and 1407 depicted a band of light to moderate intensity echoes approximately 15 miles wide along the flight track. Over the accident site, the echo intensity was only 20 to 25 dBZ or light intensity echoes. The reflectivity images did not identify any strong convective echoes along the flight path of the accident airplane.

A review the lightning network indicated that there were no in-cloud or cloud-to-ground lightning activity in an approximate 20 mile radius and a 45 minute period surrounding the time of the accident.

The NWS Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) for FYV available at the time of preflight planning expected VFR conditions prevailing with a broken ceiling at 4,000 feet and light rain showers. The TAF for Tulsa International Airport, cl...