History of Flight
On August 7, 2009, at approximately 1145 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA22-150 (registration N6905B) was destroyed when it impacted the ground while maneuvering near mountainous terrain in the vicinity of Saint Charles, Idaho. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot and his passenger were killed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal cross-country flight, which originated from Ogden-Hinckley Airport (OGD) in Ogden, Utah, at 1102 with an intended destination of Alpine, Wyoming.
No known witnesses observed the accident sequence directly; however, two witnesses in the area reported seeing an airplane similar to the accident aircraft flying north. One witness, located about six miles south of the accident site at a recreational camping area, reported the airplane flew overhead at an altitude of approximately 500 to 1,000 feet above ground level (agl). Based on the witness's reported location, the elevation was estimated at 7,220 feet mean sea level (msl). A second witness, located about 2.5 miles south of the accident site, reported traveling north in a vehicle when he noticed an airplane flying north at about 300 feet above the tree line. The estimated elevation at this location was 7,710 feet msl. About 30 minutes later, a group of people on all-terrain vehicles informed the second witness that an airplane had crashed in the area. Neither witness reported observing any abnormal flight patterns or smoke trailing from the airplane.
Personnel Information
The 57-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating, issued on January 10, 2004. A third-class airman medical certificate was issued on May 12, 2009, with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses for near and distance vision." On his most recent medical certificate application, the pilot reported a total flight time of 503 hours. The pilot's logbook was not found during the investigation.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane, serial number 22-4179, was manufactured in 1956. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320 150-horsepower engine and equipped with a Sensenich fixed-pitch propeller. The airplane had two 18-gallon fuel tanks and a maximum certificated gross weight of 2,000 pounds.
Maintenance logbook records showed an annual inspection completed on March 27, 2009, at a tachometer reading and airframe total time of 2,578.13 hours. The engine underwent a 100-hour inspection on March 19, 2009, at the same tachometer reading and 398.25 hours since major overhaul. The most recent logbook entry, dated August 6, 2009, indicated that eight rubber engine mounts were replaced at all four engine mount locations at a tachometer reading of 2,605.0 hours. The tachometer at the accident site was damaged, precluding determination of the current reading.
A family member of the pilot reported that, prior to the accident flight, the pilot had removed the rear seat to allow for additional baggage, placing two sleeping bags, one emergency kit, and one tent in the airplane, estimated to weigh about 30 pounds. The family member also reported that the pilot had refueled the airplane prior to the flight with automotive fuel via fuel canisters at his hangar. Examination of the pilot's hangar revealed six five-gallon fuel containers, one full of liquid consistent with automotive fuel, and trace amounts in another. The liquid tested negative for water, and no debris was observed in any containers.
Meteorological Information
Recorded weather data from the automated weather observation station at Logan-Cache Airport (Logan, Utah), located 25 miles southwest of the accident site at an elevation of 4,457 feet, indicated at 1151 conditions: wind from 360 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, sky clear, temperature 19°C, dew point 6°C, and altimeter setting 29.97 inHg. Using these conditions and the accident site elevation of 8,321 feet, the density altitude was calculated to be about 10,706 feet, and pressure altitude about 8,276 feet.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in an open field with numerous large rocks, adjacent to a heavily wooded area. The accident site elevation was 8,321 feet msl, with rising terrain to the north, east, and west. The wreckage energy path was about 50 feet long, oriented on an approximate 320-degree magnetic heading. The first identified point of contact was a ground scar about 2 feet wide and 2 feet long, containing fragments of green lens (consistent with the right wing navigation light) and outboard right wingtip pieces. A second ground scar, about 30–35 feet long and 5 feet wide, extended from the initial scar and contained fragments of plexiglass and the outside air temperature gauge.
The airframe came to rest upright on an approximate heading of 220 degrees magnetic. The fuselage, wings, and empennage were mostly consumed by fire. All major structural components were present. Flight control continuity was established from all primary flight controls to the cockpit control wheel. Examination of the airframe and flight control system revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction.
The engine was recovered and examined. All cylinders remained attached to the crankcase with thermal discoloration. Fuel and oil lines were fire-damaged. The exhaust was intact but impact-damaged. All engine accessories remained attached except the carburetor, which had separated. The engine crankshaft was manually rotated, establishing rotational continuity throughout the engine and valve train. Thumb compression and suction were obtained on all four cylinders, and equal lifting movement was observed on all valve rocker arms.
The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft. Propeller blade "A" was twisted opposite the direction of rotation from about 10 inches inboard of the tip, with leading edge gouges on the outboard 2 inches and chordwise scratching on the aft face. Blade "B" exhibited a slight "S" bend through the outboard three-quarters, chordwise scratching from mid-span to the tip, and leading edge gouges and polishing from mid-span to the tip. No evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunction was found in the engine.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on August 8, 2009, determined the pilot's cause of death as "blunt force trauma." Toxicological tests performed by the FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) tested for carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles, and drugs, with positive results for an unspecified amount of Famotidine in the blood and urine.