History of Flight
On August 24, 2008, at approximately 0828 mountain daylight time, a Piper 24-250, registration N5476P, was destroyed when it struck terrain near Yuma, Colorado. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were present at the time, and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB) at about 0720 and was bound for Yuma Municipal Airport (2V6).
The pilot was transporting two adult family members from Pueblo to visit relatives near Yuma. Witnesses at 2V6 reported hearing the airplane approach from the west, flying overhead very low and fast. They then heard a change in sound indicating a hard turn, followed approximately ten seconds later by a loud thump and a ball of fire. One witness called 9-1-1, and another directed first responders to the scene.
Pilot Information
The 63-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. His certificate was limited to aircraft with hand-operated brakes and FAA-approved hand-operated rudder controls. He held a third-class medical certificate issued August 27, 2007, with a requirement to wear corrective lenses. His most recent biennial flight review was completed on October 3, 2007, and his last instrument proficiency check was on August 5, 2007. The pilot's logbook indicated 3,410 total flight hours, with approximately 1,700 hours in the accident airplane and 68 hours in the preceding 90 days. He was originally certificated in 1971 and had received a special medical flight test in 1983, limiting him to a PA-24-180 with rudder hand controls. He had logged 3,212 hours as a pilot in airplanes with hand-operated rudder controls.
Aircraft Information
N5476P (serial number 24-525) was a 1958 Piper 24-250, a low-wing, four-place, single-engine land airplane powered by a Lycoming O-540-A1A5 engine rated at 250 horsepower, driving a McCauley three-blade constant-speed propeller. It received a standard airworthiness certificate on September 14, 2007, and had been registered to the owner since September 12, 1985. The last annual inspection occurred on April 30, 2008, at a total airframe time of 6,020 hours. The airplane was equipped with an S-TEC autopilot, Garmin GNS-430 GPS, and JPI engine analyzer, and was certificated for instrument flight. Modifications included performance enhancements, wing tip fuel tanks, a rudder hand control, a fuel injector system, and an add-on turbocharger.
Meteorological Information
At the time of the accident, IFR conditions prevailed. A surface analysis chart at 0900 showed a high pressure system over southwestern Colorado and a low pressure system over southeastern Colorado, with a frontal wave extending eastward. The accident site was north of the low pressure center. ASOS reports from nearby airports indicated fog and low ceilings. At 0753, Akron, Colorado reported visibility 1/4 mile in fog with an overcast ceiling at 100 feet. Similarly, Burlington, Colorado reported 1/4 mile visibility in fog with indefinite ceiling 100 feet. Witnesses at 2V6 described very foggy conditions with no ceiling and visibility estimated at 1/2 mile, with heaviest fog beginning 20-30 minutes before the accident.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in a dry, recently mowed wheat field at approximately 40°06′43″N, 102°42′38″W, elevation 4,136 feet MSL. The debris path measured 144 feet on a magnetic bearing of about 230 degrees from the initial impact scar to the main wreckage, with all debris within 234 feet southwest of the scar. The initial impact scar matched markings on the right wing tip tank, which was found 50 feet southwest. An impact crater was 30 feet further southwest. The propeller hub and one blade were partially buried in the crater; the blade appeared straight. Two other blades showed S-bending and leading-edge damage. The right wing outboard panel separated; the inboard panel was fragmented. Left wing components were damaged. The fuselage came to rest upright, with the engine and instrument panel burned by post-crash fire. Flight control continuity was confirmed to the midpoint of the fuselage.
Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on August 27, 2008, by the Jefferson County Coroner's Office determined the pilot's cause of death as massive bodily injury due to blunt force trauma from the crash. Forensic toxicology by the FAA detected no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol in blood. Trimethoprim was detected.
Tests and Research
Examination of the wreckage at Greeley-Weld County Airport on August 26, 2008, included inspection of the engine and components. The propeller governor screen was clean. The left magneto sparked all leads; the right magneto could not be tested. Engine continuity was confirmed, and cylinders had compression. Spark plugs appeared normal. No pre-impact anomalies were found in the airframe, flight controls, engine, or components that would have precluded normal operation.