History of Flight
On December 4, 2010, at approximately 1245 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N8320R, was substantially damaged during a landing attempt at Ponca City Municipal Airport (PNC), Ponca City, Oklahoma. The airplane collided with terrain and a fence. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot was seriously injured, and the passenger was fatally injured. The flight originated from Seminole (H45), Oklahoma, around 1115.
According to the passenger's father, the pilot and his son were flying to Ponca City for lunch. A lineman observed the airplane approaching runway 35 but turned away and did not witness the accident. A television news report mentioned one eyewitness, who stated on camera that he saw the bottom of the airplane facing him, then it rolled inverted and crashed. Emergency personnel received the 9-1-1 call at 1247.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded found evidence that the airplane landed on runway 35 and bounced.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 30, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating and a third-class medical certificate issued January 14, 2009, without restrictions. His last flight review was April 23, 2009, during his private pilot practical test.
According to the pilot's logbook, total flight time was 132.8 hours, with 95.3 hours as pilot-in-command/solo. He had 40.7 hours in the Piper PA-28-140, including 2.2 hours of flight instruction in that type. He began flying the PA-28-140 on August 28, 2010.
The passenger, age 23, was a student pilot without a pilot certificate. He had applied for medical certification, but FAA issued a letter of denial on December 2, 2010, after he did not respond to a request for additional information.
Aircraft Information
N8320R (serial number 28-22191) was built by Piper Aircraft Corporation in 1966. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E2A engine upgraded to 160 horsepower, driving a Sensenich two-blade fixed-pitch propeller. Annual and 100-hour inspections were completed on July 19, 2010, with the tachometer reading 5,477 hours and engine time since overhaul at 584 hours.
Meteorological Information
Weather reported at Ponca City at 1253: wind from 350 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 21 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 7°C, dew point 4°C, altimeter 30.33 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Evidence indicated the airplane struck the ground with its left wing, separating it from the fuselage. The airplane became inverted, skidded across a grass median and taxiway, and collided with a chain link fence.
Photographs of the instrument panel showed: airspeed indicator 0, directional gyro 169 degrees, turn-and-slip indicator showing a left bank at two times standard rate, vertical speed 100 feet per minute down, altimeter approximately 1,000 feet, tachometer 0 (5,514.30 hours), Hobbs meter 468.7, clock stopped at 1:07, magnetos set to both, throttle full forward, carburetor heat 0.5 inch out, boost pump on, transponder set to 1200 (Mode C), flaps at 25 degrees. Control continuity was established with no anomalies noted.
According to the Ponca City fire chief, neither occupant had their seatbelt fastened, and no seatbelt was cut. The passenger was found partially out of the shattered left cabin window, with the pilot lying on top of him.
Medical and Pathological Information
The pilot was airlifted to a hospital for treatment of injuries and later transferred to a rehabilitation hospital. Toxicology testing was not performed on the pilot.
The passenger was transported to Ponca City Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. Autopsy attributed death to multiple blunt force trauma. Toxicology detected no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol; atropine and lidocaine were found, consistent with resuscitation attempts by medical personnel.