2012 Piper PA-32-300 Crash Near Mountain Home, Idaho (N8990N)

Accident Overview and Flight History On June 9, 2012, at 1232 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N8990N, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Mountain Home, Idaho. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was being operated by the pilot/owner under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed for a cross-country flight from Imperial, Nebraska, to Nampa, Idaho, but it had not been activated. The pilot stopped at Rock Springs, Wyoming, for fuel and departed approximately three hours before the accident. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the accident site. The pilot's wife reported that he called her from Rock Springs around 0930 to state he was purchasing fuel for the remainder of the flight. The direct line of flight from Rock Springs to Nampa was 290 degrees for 350 nautical miles. There was no record of the pilot communicating with air traffic control during the flight. Radar data identified a target as the accident airplane on a course parallel to the direct line of flight and approximately 3 to 5 nautical miles north. The airplane's altitude was about 15,500 feet mean sea level (msl) within 30 minutes of taking off. Approximately 25 minutes before the accident, the airplane had descended to approximately 10,700 feet msl. At 1228, the airplane had descended to 7,000 feet msl. For the remainder of the flight, the airplane's altitude varied from 7,400 to 7,800 feet msl. At 1230, the flight track turned left and reversed course to an east heading. Within two minutes, it turned back to the right to a heading of approximately 290 degrees. The last radar return was recorded at 1232:39, showing the airplane at 7,600 feet msl about 0.27 miles southeast of the accident site. When the airplane did not arrive in Nampa, the pilot's wife reported it missing. Search and rescue personnel located the wreckage about 2100. A postimpact fire had consumed most of the airplane.