N119RL

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 12, 2015, about 1625 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31T1, N119RL, collided with terrain on final approach to runway 13 at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The private pilot and three passengers were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. The airplane was registered to a private company and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florida, about 1520.

According to information obtained from air traffic control, the pilot checked in with Miami approach control at 1618 and was advised to maintain 3,000 feet. The pilot was provided the most recent weather and runway information for FXE and he informed the controller that he would be executing a visual approach to runway 9. The controller then cleared the airplane to proceed direct to FXE with a descent to 2,000 feet. The pilot reported that he did not have FXE in sight, so the controller provided assistance and cleared the pilot to descend to 1,500 feet. At 1623, the pilot reported the field in sight and the controller cleared the pilot for the visual approach to runway 9 and handed him off to the FXE air traffic control tower. At 1623:49, the pilot checked in with FXE tower and was immediately cleared to land by the tower controller. At 1624:27, the pilot reported, "romeo lima smoke in the cockpit." When asked to repeat, the pilot responded, at 1624:30, "smoke in the cockpit." At 1624:38, the tower controller cleared the pilot to land on any runway and advised that he was aligned with runway 13. At 1624:48, the pilot stated that he would land on runway 13. At 1625:14, the pilot reported, "mayday mayday mayday mayday mayday (unintelligible)." This was the last transmission received from the pilot. The airplane then crashed about 1/4 mile short of runway 13 in a wooded area.

A witness was outside on a church sports field, about 1/4 mile from the crash site, at the time of the accident. He observed the airplane coming in from the northwest, diagonally toward the airport. He stated that the airplane was "too low." He thought that the airplane would pull up in time; however, it "…got worse, the closer it got to the ground the more the nose fell toward the ground." He then heard a loud explosion and observed a pillar of smoke and fire. He further stated that there was no smoke or fire coming from the airplane, and that the engines sounded normal prior to the crash.

Security camera video was provided to investigators that captured the airplane immediately prior to the crash. A review of the video revealed no visible smoke or fire trailing the airplane in flight. Immediately prior to impact, a noticeable pitch down was observed, consistent with the witness report. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot, age 51, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single engine, multi-engine, and instrument airplane ratings. He reported 1,221 hours total flight time on his most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) medical certificate, dated February 18, 2015. Records recovered from the wreckage indicated that he completed a PA-31 initial training course about 1 week prior to the accident. A pilot logbook was recovered from the wreckage; however, no total flight time information could be discerned due to the extensive fire damage. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe seven-seat airplane, also known as the Cheyenne I, was manufactured in 1979 and was equipped with two Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-11 turboprop engines. The airplane maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection of the airframe, engines, and propellers was completed on April 3, 2015. At the last inspection, the total time recorded on the airframe and engines was 3,266.5 hours.

Concurrent with the last annual inspection, a Garmin GTN-650 GPS, communication and navigation system, a Garmin GA-35 GPS antenna, a Garmin GMA-340 audio panel, a Bendix King KN-53 navigation and glideslope receiver, and a Bendix King KI-204 VOR, localizer and glideslope indicator were installed and the old avionics were removed. A new aircraft battery was also installed. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONThe FXE weather at 1553 included wind from 140 degrees at 13 knots, visibility at least 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet above the ground, temperature 30 degrees C, dew point 20 degrees C, and altimeter setting 30.06 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe seven-seat airplane, also known as the Cheyenne I, was manufactured in 1979 and was equipped with two Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-11 turboprop engines. The airplane maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection of the airframe, engines, and propellers was completed on April 3, 2015. At the last inspection, the total time recorded on the airframe and engines was 3,266.5 hours.

Concurrent with the last annual inspection, a Garmin GTN-650 GPS, communication and navigation system, a Garmin GA-35 GPS antenna, a Garmin GMA-340 audio panel, a Bendix King KN-53 navigation and glideslope receiver, and a Bendix King KI-204 VOR, localizer and glideslope indicator were installed and the old avionics were removed. A new aircraft battery was also installed. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe wreckage was located inside a fenced nature preserve within the boundary of the airport. The main wreckage was located directly under the extended centerline for runway 13. The wreckage debris field was about 167 feet in length and about 50 feet wide, oriented on a heading of about 112 degrees. The fuselage came to rest upright, aligned on a heading of 020 degrees. All major structural components of the aircraft were found within the confines of the debris field. Several tree limbs were found along the wreckage path with smooth, angular cuts.

The fuselage was destroyed from the nose cone area aft to the forward pressure bulkhead from impact damage and the postcrash fire. All structure forward of the main wing spar was consumed by the postcrash fire. The aft fuselage, forward of the main cabin door leading edge, was segmented and destroyed by the postcrash fire. The fuselage wreckage surrounding the aft cabin door frame was impact-damaged and scorched. The main cabin door was found latched. The cabin enclosure windows and windshields were destroyed by ground impact and postcrash fire. The forward cabin seats were in place; however, they were bent and destroyed by impact forces and postcrash fire. The aft seats were found bent with fire damage noted. All seat restraints were damaged by postcrash fire. Two buckled remnants were located, and other seat restraint items were found; however, the seat belt webbing was burned away. The remaining buckles were not latched and were noted to be damaged from postcrash fire.

All avionics equipment and flight instruments were destroyed by the postcrash fire. The magnetic compass unit was located in the forward debris path. The switch and circuit breaker panels were fire-damaged. The engine power levers appeared to be in the "full forward" positions. The left and right control wheel shafts were noted to be bent from impact. The control wheels were destroyed by the postcrash fire. The aileron control chain was attached to the control wheel shaft sprockets. The rudder pedals were located. Their support shaft was impact-damaged and the pedals were not free to move.

The nose landing gear was found adjacent to the fuselage. It appeared to have been in the "extended and locked" position. The airplane's radar unit antenna was located adjacent to the fuselage, and its power supply and processor were located in nearby brush. The airplane's main battery was not located. The cabin heater was located, installed at its normal position. The flap and landing gear select switches were damaged from impact and postcrash fire. They offered no useful information as to their pre-impact positions. The flight control trim wheel console was destroyed by ground impact and postcrash fire. Their cables were intact and could be traced aft to their respective flight controls.

Both engines were separated from the airframe and both propeller assemblies were separated from the engines during the accident sequence.

The vertical fin remained mounted to the fuselage. It exhibited impact damage and some scorching signatures. The rudder was attached to the vertical fin and was free to move left and right. It appeared to have limited impact damage. The rudder trim tab and actuator rod were still attached and both were free to move. Rudder and rudder trim cable continuity were traced from their respective positions forward to the cabin area. Continuity was noted but control movement was limited due to cabin area compression and distortion. The primary rudder control stops indicated no bending or peening conditions. The autopilot servo bridal cable was intact.

The horizontal stabilizer assembly was noted to have tree and ground impact damage with some scorching noted. The left horizontal stabilizer was bent downward and appeared to have a "U" shape. Leading edge damage was noted to both sides.

The elevator was free to move. The control rod was attached and the control balance springs were in place. The autopilot pitch servo bridal cables were attached. The trim tab was free to move. Cable continuity was traced forward to the cabin area. Movement was limited due to cabin area compression and distortion. The elevator primary stops showed no evidence of a bending or peening condition.

The left wing inboard section was separated from the fuselage at the wing root and was destroyed by impact forces and the postcrash fire. The outboard section, engine nacelle, and wing tip tank areas were separated by tree impact and were found in th...