History of Flight
On December 24, 2010, about 1600 mountain standard time, the wreckage of a Commander 114B, N799RS, was located by Civil Air Patrol searchers in the Wind River mountain range, about 20 miles southwest of Lander, Wyoming. Based on recorded radar and GPS data, the accident likely occurred about 1145 on December 22, 2010. The owner/pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The personal flight was operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. No reports of an overdue or missing aircraft were received.
The search was prompted by reports of emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signals received by overflying aircraft. The first signal was reported to the FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center in Salt Lake City about 1653 on December 23, 2010. No air traffic services were provided to the airplane. A review of Lockheed Martin Flight Service records from November 12 to December 23 showed no services provided to the accident pilot or airplane.
The pilot had made hangar and rental car reservations several weeks prior. His intended final destination was Driggs-Reed Memorial Airport, Idaho, with a planned arrival date of December 22, 2010.
Post-accident review of ground-based radar data indicated that the airplane was tracked via its transponder returns. The transponder code was set to 1200 for the flight.
A handheld GPS unit recovered from the wreckage showed that on December 21, 2010, the airplane departed Jasper County-Bell Airport, Texas, and flew to Dalhart Municipal Airport, Texas, then to Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport, Colorado. On December 22, about 0937, it departed Fort Collins-Loveland. The airplane climbed to about 12,500 feet mean sea level and tracked northwest toward Driggs. The flight path included descents, climbs, and course reversals. The final GPS data point was recorded about 1145, about 1/2 mile west of the impact location, at a GPS altitude of 11,599 feet.
The pilot and two passengers were recovered on December 25, 2010. Due to terrain and seasonal conditions, the wreckage was recovered on July 27, 2011.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land rating, issued in October 2005. He did not hold an instrument rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in June 2006. A July 2010 aircraft insurance application indicated total flight experience of 710 hours, including 456 hours in the accident make and model. No pilot logbooks or personal records were located.
An operations staff member at Jasper County-Bell Airport stated it was common knowledge among airport personnel that, although not instrument rated, the pilot frequently filed instrument flight plans and operated in instrument meteorological conditions. The staff member had heard other pilots complain about the pilot's flying habits.
An autopsy indicated the pilot's death resulted from multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology examinations detected only caffeine and acetaminophen; no carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, or other screened drugs were found.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1998 as serial number 14658, first registered to the pilot in August 2007. It was equipped with a normally-aspirated Lycoming IO-540 series engine. Total fuel capacity was 70 gallons (68 useable). Maximum takeoff weight was 3,250 pounds. The airplane was not approved for flight into known icing.
Examination of maintenance records revealed that the engine was removed in June 2008 for compliance with an FAA airworthiness directive. The most recent annual inspection was completed in June 2010 at 963.3 hours total time. The most recent maintenance entry was an oil change on November 5, 2010, at 1,065.9 hours. No records warranted additional investigation.
Meteorological Information
Multiple AIRMETs were current for the accident area: moderate icing below FL240; IFR conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibility below 3 miles; mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, and mist; and moderate turbulence below FL180. No SIGMETs were current.
The Area Forecast for the time and location forecast broken ceilings between 7,000 and 10,000 feet, cloud tops to FL260, visibility 3 miles with light snow and mist.
Current Icing Potential products indicated probabilities of icing with severities identified as trace and light. Calculations suggested light rime icing potential between 7,000 and 8,600 feet and between 12,700 and 13,000 feet, and light to moderate clear and rime icing between 10,000 and 18,400 feet.
Wind profile data showed light winds (15 knots or below) from the surface through 15,000 feet. No significant clear-air turbulence was noted below 18,000 feet. Graphical Turbulence Guidance indicated moderate or greater turbulence could have been expected.
WSR-88D radar data from Riverton, Wyoming, indicated that just before the accident, the airplane was in or near a volume of light reflectivity, which in known freezing conditions likely represented suspended snow or super-cooled liquid water drops.
A fisherman at Christina Lake, east of the accident site, heard but did not see the airplane; he reported low clouds, wind, and snow. A snowmobiler the following day reported 4 to 6 inches of snow on the west side of the ridge.
Aids to Navigation
The airplane was equipped with a Garmin 530 communication/navigation radio with GPS capability; its operational status could not be determined due to damage. The portable GPSMap 696 unit was operational and showed the pilot flew direct GPS routes. The unit was capable of displaying terrain data. Owner's manual warnings stated the unit was intended only as an aid for VFR navigation and that displayed minimum safe altitudes were advisory.
The sectional aeronautical chart showed the maximum elevation figure in the accident quadrangle was 12,800 feet. It was not determined if the pilot referenced any charts.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located on a rocky ridge at an elevation of approximately 11,700 feet. The impact site was about 50 to 100 feet below the highest point on the ridgeline. The terrain fell away rapidly to the east and less rapidly to the west. The engine and propeller pointed approximately west; the cockpit was oriented nose-down with the roof facing south. The left wing extended southeast, the right wing northwest.
The airplane sustained significant crush, twist, and tearing deformation but was minimally fragmented. All primary components were accounted for. The forward fuselage and cabin exhibited significant crush damage; the tailcone and empennage were relatively intact. The landing gear was retracted. Flap position could not be determined.
Detailed examination of the engine, propeller, and airframe did not reveal any pre-existing mechanical deficiencies or failures that would have precluded normal operation. All damage patterns were consistent with ground impact with the engine running.
Additional Information
Federal Aviation Regulations require supplemental oxygen for flights above 12,500 feet for more than 30 minutes and continuously above 14,000 feet. Two oxygen cylinders were found in the wreckage. A large cylinder (22 cubic feet capacity) showed a pressure of about 1,600 psi; it had four ports, two unused, and two line fittings installed, one attached and one fractured. A smaller cylinder (model SK 12-9) showed about 1,750 psi; no ports were used. Both tanks released gas when valves were actuated. Two small leather carry-cases were found; one contained two oxygen mask/line assemblies, the other was empty and zippered. Two mask assemblies were free in the wreckage. The condition of a mask found on the pilot was not consistent with his injury pattern.
The ELT (Artex Model ELT-200) remained mounted in the aft fuselage and broadcast on 121.5 and 243 MHz. The external antenna was attached but below and blanketed by the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. NOAA noted that 121.5 MHz ELTs have limitations including frequency clutter and inability to verify the source aircraft. As of the report date, satellite reception of 121.5 MHz beacons had been terminated since February 1, 2009.