History of Flight
On July 19, 2008, at approximately 1540 central daylight time, a Piper PA-22 airplane, registration N9980D, was destroyed after it departed from controlled flight and impacted terrain near a private airfield in Kemp, Texas. The aircraft had originated from Sycamore Strip Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, at about 1230. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions; no flight plan was filed.
Earlier that day, two other aircraft had gathered at the private airfield alongside the accident airplane. Both departed approximately 5–10 minutes before the accident airplane.
A witness reported seeing the airplane depart the airfield to the east and begin a left turn. As the turn continued, the airplane lost altitude and its nose dropped. The witness noted no change in the sound of the engine.
Personnel Information
The pilot occupying the left seat held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land and a third-class FAA medical certificate issued December 1, 2006, at which time he reported 1,500 flight hours. The right-seat occupant held a private pilot license, and the rear-seat occupant held a student pilot certificate.
Aircraft Information
The accident aircraft was a 1959 Piper PA-22-150 Tri-Pacer, a single-engine, high-wing airplane with fixed tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320 reciprocating engine rated at 160 HP, equipped with a Sensenich two-blade, fixed-pitch propeller. The last annual inspection was performed on February 17, 2008, at a total time of 4,655.7 hours and a tachometer time of 1,599.7 hours. The amount of fuel on board before departing the grass airstrip could not be determined, but prior to its initial departure from Sycamore Airport, the left wing tank had been filled with 12.3 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel.
Meteorological Information
At 1553, the automated weather station at Terrell, Texas, about 20 miles from the accident site, reported wind from 200 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 96°F, dew point 61°F, and an altimeter setting of 29.97 inHg. Witnesses at the site described the weather as hot, with winds of 5–10 knots and gusts possibly as high as 20 knots. The calculated density altitude was approximately 2,927 feet.
Airport Information
Connie's Aviation Airport (XA42) is a private airfield with an east-west grass runway (Runway 9/27), approximately 1,600 feet long and 60 feet wide.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane wreckage was examined at the site on July 20, 2008, by the NTSB investigator-in-charge along with representatives from Lycoming and Piper. The aircraft came to rest inverted on a magnetic heading of about 308 degrees, approximately one-third of a mile north of the runway. The accident site was a vacant, flat grass field in a rural residential area. All major components were accounted for. A post-crash fire consumed most of the airframe and engine. Ground scars 35–40 feet from the wreckage were consistent with a steep impact angle. The left and right wings and engine remained attached to the fuselage. Flight control continuity was established; the pitch trim was in the neutral position and the flaps were up.
The engine sustained impact damage and extensive fire/heat damage. Accessories including magnetos and carburetor were fire-damaged. The valve covers and top spark plugs were removed; a borescope inspection of three intact cylinders was performed. The two-bladed fixed-pitch propeller had separated during impact and was found about 4 inches deep in the soil. The propeller flange fractured inside the bolt ring, showing a clean separation with 45-degree fractures and twisting deformation. The outboard one-third of the first blade was bent aft about 15 degrees, with leading edge polishing and chordwise scratching. The second blade was bent forward about 45 degrees near mid-span, with similar leading edge polishing and chordwise marks. The propeller markings and ground scars were consistent with the engine producing power at impact.
The on-site examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical anomalies.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on the pilot, performed by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, Texas, on July 20, 2008, listed the cause of death as blunt force injuries. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for tested drugs, carbon monoxide, cyanide, and alcohol.
Tests and Research
Using an approximation of the weights of the three occupants and fuel, the airplane was estimated to be near its maximum takeoff weight on departure from the private airfield.