History of Flight
On January 9, 2011, at approximately 1340 mountain standard time, a single-engine Piper PA-46-350P, N727MC, impacted mountainous terrain in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Westcliffe, Colorado. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a cross-country flight. The airplane had departed Phoenix-Deer Valley Airport (DVT) at about 1200, en route to Pueblo Memorial Airport (PUB) on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Radar data showed the airplane level at FL 250 until 1329:46, when it began a descent of around 1,200 feet per minute. At 1333:25, it turned right and increased descent to about 3,000 fpm at 17,600 feet. It then climbed at about 5,000 fpm to 19,200 feet before descending at over 7,000 fpm. The last radar return was at 1334:33 at 12,200 feet (about 2,500 feet above ground level). The airplane disappeared from radar and an alert notice was issued. Search teams located the wreckage on December 10, 2011.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 66, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument. His logbook showed over 3,030 hours, with at least 467 hours in the accident make and model. His last flight review was completed on October 2, 2008. He received a JetProp directed checkout on July 17, 2009, and an instrument proficiency check on June 10, 2010. On February 26, 2009, he was issued a third-class medical certificate with the restriction to wear corrective lenses for near and distant vision. In the previous year, he had logged 37 instrument approaches, most in a Mooney M20K.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, serial number 4636085, was manufactured in 1997. It was powered by a 750-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-35 engine driving a Hartzell four-bladed constant-speed propeller. A Supplemental Type Certificate (ST00541SE) converted it to a JetProp DLX, installed on October 19, 2006. A concurrent 100-hour and annual inspection was conducted on January 13, 2010, at 3,594.6 airframe hours and 327.4 engine hours. The pilot's logbook indicated about 3,734 hours at the time of the accident. Fuel tanks were serviced with 104 gallons of Jet-A and an ice inhibitor; they were full before departure. Avionics included Garmin G600, GDL 69A, GNS 530W, and GNS 430W.
Meteorological Information
A frontal wave had developed two low-pressure systems, one over central Colorado and another over northern New Mexico. The accident site was near a stationary front. An upper-air sounding from Denver indicated potential turbulence above 17,000 feet, with moderate turbulence between 17,300 and 18,000 feet, and mountain wave activity with updrafts/downdrafts of 750 feet per minute and moderate to severe turbulence. The freezing level was at ground level, with conditions favorable for ice production in clouds. Satellite and radar data showed the airplane descended into terrain after entering cumuliform clouds with very light precipitation. Pilot reports confirmed mountain wave activity. Visual meteorological conditions existed below the IMC layer. The pilot received an abbreviated weather briefing from Prescott Contracted Flight Service Station, which included conditions for PUB and Amarillo, and advisories for high-level turbulence between FL180 and FL230 and moderate ice between the freezing level and FL180.
Communications
Radio transcripts from Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center showed the pilot checked in at 1947:36 and requested to fly direct to DREXL for the ILS runway 8L at PUB. He was cleared to procedure direct DREXL then direct PUB. At 2027:05, he was cleared to descend at his discretion to 17,000 feet. He acknowledged and stated he would descend in two minutes. No further transmissions were made.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was found in a heavily wooded area at an altitude of 9,733 feet mean sea level, aligned on a 290-degree magnetic heading. Trees displayed scuffing. All components were accounted for. The lower fuselage had extensive crushing and rippling. Paint transfers on rocks indicated a left wing strike. The right wing leading edge was crushed rearward with tree strikes; the wing was heavily damaged and torn at mid-span. The empennage remained attached, twisted left and bent upward, resting against a tree with scraped bark. Fuel tanks were breached, with fuel odor present. Flight control continuity was established. The propeller remained attached; all four blades showed S-bending, curling, and chord-wise scratches. The spinner cone had rotational scoring. Landing gear and flaps were retracted. The throttle quadrant was crushed, with throttle and propeller near full forward. The airspeed indicator read 150 knots, and the vertical speed indicator indicated a 4,000 fpm descent. The fuel selector was on the right tank. Engine examination showed circumferential rubbing and scoring consistent with operation at impact, with no preimpact failures.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy was performed on the pilot on January 13, 2011, by the El Paso County Coroner's Office; the manner of death was ruled an accident. Forensic toxicology by the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute detected ethanol in the liver (333 mg/dL), muscle (16 mg/dL), and lung (10 mg/dL), but not in the heart, spleen, or kidney. Notes indicated the ethanol was from sources other than ingestion. Metoprolol was detected in the liver and kidney; this medication is used to treat high blood pressure. The pilot had last reported treatment with irbesartan.