History of Flight
On March 29, 2011, at about 1604 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA46-350P, registration N619VH, impacted a field southeast of the departure end of runway 21 at Custer Airport (TTF) in Monroe, Michigan. The certificated private pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane was registered to Triple F Aviation LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Bedford County Airport (Bedford, Pennsylvania) about 1426 and was en route to TTF.
A witness reported that the airplane was unusually low and flying at a high rate of speed with its landing gear retracted when it flew over Stewart Road. The airplane continued at high speed as it crossed trees adjacent to runway 21.
Radar data indicated that the airplane's ground speed was 132 knots at an altitude of 800 feet, with a heading of 207 degrees when it was about 0.5 miles from runway 21 (4,997 feet by 100 feet, grooved asphalt).
A second witness stated that the pilot attempted to contact a flight instructor who had previously flown with the pilot while the airplane was approaching TTF. The flight instructor was employed at a TTF fixed base operator and was also a Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team (FAAST) Representative.
Another witness reported seeing the airplane in a turn with "little speed." The airplane then "just dropped." The left wing and nose hit the ground simultaneously.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 58, held a private pilot certificate with an instrument rating. He was issued a third-class airman medical certificate on December 2, 2009, with the limitation: "must have available glasses for near vision." At the time of his medical application, he reported a total flight time of 1,600 hours. His last flight review was April 6, 2010. The pilot had no FAA record of previous incidents, accidents, or enforcement actions.
Aircraft Information
The 2006 Piper PA46-350P, serial number 4636402, was powered by a Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine, serial number L-12591-61A, and equipped with a Hartzell HC-I13YR-1RF, serial number HK1264B, 3-blade composite propeller.
Maximum weights and center of gravity (CG) range: ramp weight 4,358 lbs, takeoff weight 4,340 lbs, landing weight 4,123 lbs; CG at maximum ramp weight: 144.14–147.1 inches.
According to FAA records, the pilot reported a weight of 175 lbs. Department of Motor Vehicle records listed the right front passenger weight as 183 lbs and the rear-seat passenger as 207 lbs.
The Piper PA46-350P has a usable main fuel tank capacity of 120 gallons. Prior to departure from TTF, the main fuel tanks were topped off, and 5 gallons of fuel was added to each wing tip tank.
According to Piper Aircraft estimates, the airplane total weight was 4,474 lbs with a CG of 142.24 inches when it originated from TTF. With fuel consumption of 31 gallons, total weight was 4,288 lbs and CG 141.89 inches. These CGs were based on the rear-seat passenger being seated in the aftmost seat.
A weight and balance form dated January 5, 2007, indicated a useful load of 1,168.96 lbs.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy of the pilot was conducted by the Office of the Wayne County Medical Examiner, Detroit, Michigan, on March 30, 2011. The cause of death was cited as "multiple injuries sustained as a pilot of plane that crashed."
The FAA Final Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report reported: no ethanol detected in urine; Atenolol detected in liver and kidney; 0.082 (ug/mL, ug/g) Dihydrocodeine detected in urine; 0.216 (ug/ml, ug/g) Hydrocodone detected in urine; Nortriptyline detected in liver and kidney.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located at coordinates 41°55.663'N, 083°26.041'W, about 1,800 feet southeast of the departure end of runway 21. The tail-to-nose wreckage heading was about 220 degrees. The wreckage exhibited impact and fire damage to the fuselage.
Examination of the main wreckage revealed the landing gear in the retracted position and flaps in the retracted position.
The propeller was attached to the hub but separated at the blade roots, consistent with a propeller strike.
Examination of runway 21 noted 37 marks within the runway surface consistent with propeller slash marks, beginning about 2,000 feet down the runway. Material consistent with the airplane propeller was located in the area of the slash marks.
Sixteen slash marks beginning about 2,000 feet down the runway were separated beginning with 21 inches and with a range of about 21–29.5 inches. The remainder of the slash mark spacing ranged from about 29.5 to 40 inches.
Examination of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.