History of Flight
On November 22, 2008, at 2309 central standard time, a Piper PA46-500TP, N67TE, piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with terrain and a post-impact fire approximately 0.5 miles north-northwest of Marshfield Municipal Airport (MFI), Marshfield, Wisconsin. The night cross-country flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries.
The flight departed Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB), Green Bay, Wisconsin, about 2220, with MFI as the intended destination. After takeoff, the pilot contacted Green Bay Air Traffic Control Tower and reported turning on course for MFI. Radar service was terminated at 2228 when the airplane left GRB airspace westbound, climbing through 10,200 feet mean sea level.
At 2250, the pilot contacted Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center while approximately 10 nautical miles northeast of MFI. He advised he was inbound on the GPS Runway 16 approach and inquired about traffic. The controller stated there was no known traffic and that the flight was below radar coverage. The pilot replied he would try the local Unicom frequency; no further communications were received.
Radar track data showed the airplane climbing from GRB and proceeding west-northwest, leveling at 10,500 feet msl around 2230. About 2242, it began a descent. The final radar data point at 2250:04 placed the airplane 10.8 nm northeast of MFI with no altitude data.
Witnesses observed the airplane approaching MFI in what appeared a normal landing approach. Shortly thereafter, it rolled abruptly to the left, showing the full top profile, then the nose dropped and it descended behind a church. Moments later, a post-impact explosion flash was seen.
The airplane came to rest in a residential backyard. Local fire authorities extinguished the post-impact fire.
Personnel Information
The accident pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single- and multi-engine land and instrument ratings, and a third-class medical certificate issued November 5, 2005, with no limitations. He completed a flight review and instrument proficiency check on September 12, 2008, as part of a Meridian training course.
A logbook recovered from the wreckage was damaged by fire; legible entries ranged from September 9 to November 16, 2008, showing totals brought forward of 767 hours total flight time, 548 hours single-engine, 219 hours multi-engine, 209 hours night, 60 hours actual instrument, and 76 instrument approaches.
FAA records indicated the pilot was issued a private pilot certificate on February 22, 2006, with 122 hours reported; multi-engine added May 20, 2006 (249 hours); and commercial certificate on September 28, 2006 (11,384 hours, based on prior military flight experience). A Navy Instrument Rating Request form dated November 22, 2005, listed 11,009 hours total, 8,602 hours actual instrument, and 1,001 hours simulated instrument, with 15 years flying experience. However, a search by the U.S. Navy found no record of the pilot, and his family stated he had never served in the military.
The pilot completed a Meridian training course after taking delivery of the accident airplane. Training records showed the course was conducted between September 8 and September 12, 2009 (the year likely a typo as the accident occurred in 2008), consisting of 20 hours ground, 8.5 hours simulator, and 5 hours flight training. He reported 749 hours total time, 219 multi-engine, 60 instrument, and 60 hours time in type on a course form dated July 30, 2008.
NTSB records showed the pilot was involved in a previous accident on June 2, 2006, in Faribault, Minnesota, involving a runway excursion and gear collapse; directional control loss was determined. He satisfactorily completed a re-examination checkride on October 25, 2006.
The pilot had owned four other Piper aircraft in the 23 months preceding the accident, including a 2003 Archer II, 2006 Saratoga II TC, 2008 Matrix, 2007 Malibu Mirage, and the 2008 Malibu Meridian (N67TE). An incident with the Malibu Mirage on April 23, 2008, involved refusal of manufacturer inspection; subsequent repairs to the firewall and engine mount were performed on June 5, 2008.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a 2008 Piper PA46-500TP Meridian, serial number 4697364, a 6-place, pressurized, single-engine aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A turboprop engine derated to 500 shaft horsepower and a Hartzell 4-bladed propeller. The airplane received its standard airworthiness certificate on July 24, 2008. The pilot purchased it on September 5, 2008. A 50-hour warranty inspection was completed on November 4, 2008, at 53.5 hours total airframe time; all applicable airworthiness directives were complied with.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting facility was MFI, with an Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS). At 2254, winds were from 160 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, broken clouds at 2,900 feet agl, overcast at 3,500 feet, temperature -4°C, dew point -8°C, altimeter 30.25 inHg. At 2354, conditions were similar with winds from 180 degrees at 5 knots.
At GRB, at 2153, winds from 190 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet, overcast at 7,000 feet, temperature -4°C, dew point -9°C, altimeter 30.32 inHg. At 2253, winds from 200 degrees at 5 knots, overcast at 6,500 feet, temperature -3°C, dew point -9°C, altimeter 30.31 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in a residential backyard about 0.5 nm north-northwest of MFI. The residence roof and deck were damaged; a red plastic fragment consistent with the left navigation light lens was recovered from the roof soffit.
The airplane came to rest upright on a magnetic heading of 278 degrees, destroyed by impact and post-impact fire. The propeller assembly separated aft of the hub and was embedded in the ground about 60 feet west of the main wreckage. The roof damage was approximately 100 feet west of the aircraft.
The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, wings, empennage, and engine; the fuselage and wings were consumed by fire. The left wing was folded aft; left aileron and flap separated. The right wing remained in position, right aileron separated, right flap remained attached but partially consumed. Aileron control cables were continuous except for separated balance cables near the wing roots, consistent with overload. The flap actuator jackscrew indicated full flap deflection (36 degrees); fractures in the torque tube appeared impact-related.
The empennage was partially consumed; intact portions showed fire discoloration. Rudder and elevators remained attached; control cables were continuous to the cockpit.
Engine examination revealed deformation from impact and thermal damage; compressor and turbine blades showed rotation at impact. The propeller assembly was oriented downward, buried about 2 feet; spinner deformed and twisted consistent with rotation. One blade was fractured about 6 inches from the root; others were intact with one bent aft 30 degrees. No pre-impact anomalies were observed.
Thermal damage prevented recovery of flight data from avionics.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy on November 24, 2008, attributed the cause of death to multiple injuries sustained in the accident.
The pilot’s FAA medical records indicated he reported hospitalization and physician visits for back pain on his only medical application (November 5, 2005). The FAA did not seek additional information. Family reported back pain from a motorcycle accident years prior and an outpatient surgical procedure about 4 years before the accident.
The FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute Forensic Toxicology Report tested negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide, and ethanol, but positive for diazepam (0.922 ug/ml in blood), nordiazepam (2.273 ug/ml), oxazepam (0.161 ug/ml), and temazepam (0.123 ug/ml). The report noted the blood sample was from the chest cavity, and the autopsy stated that drug levels should be interpreted with caution due to extensive injuries and blood source.
Additional Information
Surveillance video from the fixed base operator at MFI showed the accident airplane taxiing from the hangar to the active runway at 1626, about 6 hours before the accident.