N451MA

On April 16, 2024, about 1205 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P airplane was destroyed when it impacted the ground near Hartsburg, Missouri. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan for the flight from the Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), Madison, Wisconsin, to the Smith Field Airport (SLG), Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and was in contact with air traffic control since his departure from MSN about 0951.

Review of flight track data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that after departing MSN, the airplane turned to the southwest and climbed to about 16,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane’s course was a direct line to SLG. The airplane remained on this course and altitude until 1149 when it turned left to a south-southeast direction, and a few minutes later made a right turn to the south. The airplane continued south until 1204 when it entered a descending left turn. At the end of the data, the airplane was heading north and had descended to about 9,400 ft msl. The calculated descent rate during the final portion of the turn was more than 16,000 ft per minute. The airplane’s fuselage came to rest about 0.14 nm north of the last in-flight recorded position of the airplane.

FIGURE 1. Plot of the final portion of the airplane’s flight path.

Review of weather data revealed that a Convective Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) advisory had been issued for the area including the accident site and was valid at the time of the accident. The SIGMET warned of areas of severe embedded thunderstorm activity, with tornados, hail up to 2 inches in diameter, and wind gusts of up to 60 kts possible.

The main wreckage consisted of the airplane’s fuselage which came to rest on a wooded hillside next to a pasture. The tree canopy was mostly undisturbed and the few tree limb breaks suggested a near vertical impact with the ground. The fuselage was resting upright. The engine was pushed rearward and the forward fuselage in the area of the forward baggage compartment exhibited accordion crushing. The inboard 4 ft of each wing remained attached to the fuselage. The fuselage sides over the wing exhibited little crush damage. The roof of this area was folded back, presumably by first responders for occupant extraction. The fuselage aft of the front seats to the rear baggage compartment was fragmented. The aft fuselage from the tip forward about 8 ft was predominately intact. No tail surfaces were present at the main wreckage site.

The tail surfaces and both outboard wings had separated from the airplane. The wings, elevator, vertical tail, and the rudder were located along a line extending from the fuselage on an 18° heading for about 3.1 nm. The farthest piece of wreckage located was the vertical tail of the airplane, with the other pieces between the fuselage and the vertical tail. The horizontal tail pieces were not located.