History of Flight
On October 14, 2012, at 1908 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-151, registration N151SV, collided with desert terrain near Marana, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries; the airplane was substantially damaged. The personal cross-country flight departed Benson Municipal Airport, Benson, Arizona, about 1835, with a planned destination of Imperial County Airport, Imperial, California. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed along the intended route, and the pilot was receiving VFR flight following services; he had not filed a flight plan.
Earlier that day, the pilot had flown with his spouse from his home base in Imperial. The first leg was to Benson, where he typically refueled, then they continued to Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, New Mexico. The spouse remained in Las Cruces, and the pilot departed for Benson about an hour later, with the ultimate destination being Imperial.
Recorded radar data and ATC recordings were reviewed by an NTSB investigator. Radar data covered about 30 minutes from 1838:02 to 1907:22. Returns showed the airplane flying northwest, with mode C altitude climbing from about 6,600 feet msl to a peak of 8,600 feet msl. Around 1850, the track was over Tucson International Airport at about 8,500 feet msl. The track continued about 35 miles on a heading of about 300 degrees true. At 1904, the track deviated from the northwesterly path, consistent with a left turn and flying west for a mile. The track then made a series of turns, turning back northwest for about 2 miles, then southwest for 2 miles, and began descending. The returns made a 360-degree turn from 1906:03 until the last hit at 1907:22, during which altitude decreased 1,700 feet to 6,600 feet msl. The last return was about 0.8 nm southwest of the accident location.
Pilot Information
According to FAA records, the 57-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating, issued April 22, 2012. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued September 8, 2010, with a limitation that he must wear corrective lenses. No record of a more recent medical exam existed. The pilot's logbook, found in the wreckage, spanned from April 10, 2011, to September 19, 2012, and showed 185 hours total flight experience, primarily in the accident airplane, including 7.3 hours at night. The pilot had completed the same trip twice before: once in May 2012 (4.7 hours to Las Cruces, 5.1 hours return, with a stop in Benson, no night hours), and once in September 2012 (5.5 hours to Las Cruces, then a 1.2-hour local flight, and a return flight with a stop in Benson, including 0.4 night hours).
Family members stated the pilot had been busy with work the three days before the accident, getting little sleep. He awoke about 0430 on the accident day. He intended to leave about 0600 but departed about 0800. The trip was delayed by headwinds and refueling in Benson. He ate in Las Cruces and was in a hurry to return to Imperial. This was the first time he attempted the trip to Las Cruces and back in the same day.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA-28-151, serial number 28-7515119, was manufactured in 1974 and purchased by the pilot in May 2011. The last annual inspection was performed on August 1, 2012. Estimated airframe total time at the accident was 4,657.2 hours. The engine was a Lycoming O-360-E3D, serial number L-39304-27A, with about 90 hours since last major overhaul at the annual inspection. Fuel receipts found in the wreckage indicated the pilot added about 28 gallons of fuel in Benson at 1216 and about 14 gallons at 1804.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather observation station was Tucson International Airport, about 35 miles southeast of the accident site. A METAR issued at 1853 reported: wind from 360 degrees at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 27°C, dew point -3°C, altimeter 30.01 inches of mercury. Data from the U.S. Naval Observatory indicated a waning crescent moon with 1% illumination. Sunset was at 1750, and end of civil twilight was 1815.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was about 0.8 miles north of the last radar return at an elevation of about 2,365 feet msl. The site was in unpopulated desert terrain, with debris stretching over 470 feet. The main wreckage was at the end of the debris field, oriented on a heading of about 300 degrees. The terrain consisted of dirt and rocks with scattered brush and cactus. The main wreckage, located next to a tree on a northeast-facing slope of a drainage ditch, included the inboard left wing, fuselage undercarriage, tail section, and aft empennage. All control surfaces were accounted for.
The first point of contact was cut branches about 12 feet high in a tree. About 30 feet away was a crater with blue lens fragments, consistent in size and orientation to the right wing tip. Given the cut branches and crater distance, the calculated descent angle was 67 degrees. A larger impact area beyond contained loose dirt and debris. The engine came to rest in a ravine 410 feet from initial impact. The propeller was partially buried about 50 feet from initial impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Pima County Sheriff's Office completed an autopsy. The FAA Toxicology and Accident Research Laboratory performed toxicological testing; results showed no evidence of ethanol or drugs.
Tests and Research
The wreckage was examined at Air Transport, Phoenix, Arizona, with representatives from Piper Aircraft and Textron Lycoming. Examination revealed extensive damage but no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The left wing separated into two major portions; the flap torque tube separated; the fuel selector valve was found in the 'off' position. The engine had crush damage; crankshaft rotation could not be accomplished. Borescope inspection showed no evidence of lubrication deprivation, contamination, or heat distress. Spark plugs and combustion signatures indicated normal operation. The left magneto functioned normally; the right magneto was fragmented and inoperative. The propeller displayed damage consistent with rotational forces at impact. There was no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.