What happened
The owner and pilot was conducting a flight accompanied by two nephews, aged 19 and 8 years old. An associate of the pilot reported that the 19-year-old nephew, who was seated in the right front seat, held a single-engine pilot certificate but had received no multi-engine instruction. However, no FAA records were found to verify that the nephew was actually acting as a pilot.
Approximately five miles north of the destination, Montgomery County Airport, two ground witnesses who were both pilots observed a Piper Apache in level flight at approximately 1,000 feet above ground level with its right propeller feathered. After taking off in their own aircraft, the witnesses tuned into the Montgomery County advisory frequency to determine if there were any transmissions from the Apache. They heard the pilot of an Apache report on downwind but heard no mention of an engine problem or an emergency.
Witnesses on the airport and under the base leg for Runway 14 observed the Apache turn to final approach with the right propeller still feathered. The aircraft then rolled into a right descending nose-down attitude and crashed in a steep descent. No pre-impact part failure or malfunction was found. During a medical examination on August 12, 1982, the pilot reported 1,200 hours of total time.
Findings
The investigation revealed that the aircraft was flying with one propeller feathered without any reported emergency to air traffic control. The lack of verified multi-engine instruction for the potential second pilot raises questions about crew resource management and decision-making during the incident.
2 fatal, 0 injured
Safety message
Pilots operating multi-engine aircraft should ensure that all pilots are properly certified and trained for the specific aircraft type. Clear communication of emergencies to air traffic control is critical for coordinating assistance and understanding the situation.