History of Flight
On November 25, 2012, at approximately 1300 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane, N8314E, was substantially damaged after impacting remote mountainous terrain while maneuvering about 9 nautical miles west-northwest of Aurora, Utah. The certified private pilot in the left front seat, the certified student pilot in the right front seat, and the sole passenger in a rear cabin seat sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91; no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Fillmore Municipal Airport (FOM), Fillmore, Utah, around 1245, with Gillette-Campbell County Airport (GCC), Gillette, Wyoming, as its intended destination.
A family member of the pilot reported that the pilot and two passengers had flown from GCC to Shafter-Minter Field (MIT), Shafter, California, via Fillmore about a week earlier to celebrate Thanksgiving. The family member noted that the pilot had made the same trip over the same route three or four times before. Due to the additional weight of two dogs, the pilot informed the passengers before departing GCC that they could not take suitcases but could take backpacks. Each occupant had a backpack and warm coat when departing MIT, and they purchased additional clothing in California.
The family member, also a pilot, assisted with weight and balance calculations on the morning of departure. He estimated passenger weights, the three backpacks, two dogs, a rifle, and full fuel for each leg. The airplane was at maximum gross takeoff weight but within limits. The flight departed MIT for GCC with a stop at Tehachapi Municipal Airport (TSP), Tehachapi, California, to refuel and visit relatives before continuing to FOM. The family member reported the pilot and passengers arrived at MIT at 0540 Pacific Standard Time (PST) and departed for TSP at 0615 PST, arriving around 0645, and departing for FOM around 0730 or 0800.
When the flight failed to arrive at GCC on the evening of November 25, concerned family members contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). An Alert Notification (ALNOT) was issued on November 26 at 1148. After a multi-state search, the airplane was located by a Utah State Department of Public Safety helicopter pilot on December 2, around 0800, in remote mountainous terrain about 11 nm due east of the departure airport at an elevation of about 9,000 feet mean sea level.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine, low-wing Piper PA-28-181, serial number 28-8390016, was manufactured in 1982. The airframe and engine had accrued 3,916 hours total time in service as of its most recent annual inspection on October 6, 2012. The Lycoming O-360–A4M engine, serial number L-22551-36A, had 1,610.5 hours since its last major overhaul on August 27, 1994.
Fuel records from Fillmore, Utah, showed the accident airplane was refueled at FOM's self-serve station at 1233 on the day of the accident with 26.87 gallons of 100 Low Lead aviation fuel. No witnesses observed the refueling or departure.
Meteorological Information
At 1259, the FOM weather reporting facility, about 11 miles west of the accident site, reported wind 290 degrees at 4 knots, visibility unlimited, temperature 12°C, dew point -3°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury. Density altitude was calculated as 9,663 feet. An NTSB meteorologist reported no significant weather hazards; no AIRMETS, SIGMETS, or significant PIREPS existed, radar was clear, and winds were light. The FOM airport manager described the day as "a real nice day."
Wreckage and Impact Information
On December 3, 2012, the NTSB investigator-in-charge, accompanied by representatives from the FAA, Piper Aircraft, and Lycoming Motors, reached the accident site via all-terrain vehicles. The airplane had topped several trees about 50 feet tall on a southeasterly heading before impacting the ground. After impact, the airplane rotated about 180 degrees counter-clockwise, coming to rest on a northwest heading. A postcrash fire consumed the cabin and cockpit areas. All components necessary for flight were accounted for.
The accident site was in a stand of trees on a gentle canyon slope about 11 nm east of the departure airport. The initial impact point, evidenced by topped trees 40–45 feet high, was on a measured magnetic heading of 140° for about 150 feet, followed by the left wing striking a tree. The main wreckage was at coordinates 38°57.244'N, 112°07.466'W, at an elevation of 8,992 feet msl. About 790 feet directly east was the lowest point of the nearest ridge at 9,186 feet msl, 194 feet below the ridge line's low point.
Postcrash fire extensively damaged the center section, roof, and side skins. The tail section separated forward of the vertical tail due to thermal damage. The forward cockpit and instrument panel separated from the fuselage due to fire; all flight instruments and avionics were destroyed. Flight control cables remained attached. The throttle and mixture cables were in full forward position, consistent with full throttle and full rich. The carburetor heat control was in an intermediate position. The left wing separated at the root but remained intact, with leading edge aft crushing from tree impact; the fuel tank was breached. The right wing remained attached but separated into two sections. The tail section had separated forward of the vertical stabilizer fin due to fire; rudder and stabilator surfaces sustained heat and impact damage. The engine remained attached to the firewall in an upright position.
Due to the fire, the amount, type, and weight of baggage could not be determined, nor could the gross weight at takeoff.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies were performed on December 3, 2013, by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Utah Department of Health. The left-seat pilot's cause of death was blunt force injuries. The right-seat student pilot's cause of death was a combination of hypothermia and blunt force injuries. The rear-seat passenger's cause of death was hypothermia. Toxicological tests for all three were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and drugs.
Tests and Research
On January 13, 2013, at a secured facility in Phoenix, Arizona, personnel from Lycoming Engines and Piper Aircraft examined the airplane under NTSB and FAA supervision. No evidence of a mechanical malfunction or failure was found that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane was equipped with a Narco ELT-10 emergency locator transmitter (121.5/243 MHz). Due to fire damage, it could not be determined if the switch was in the ARMED position or if the ELT activated upon impact. Satellite monitoring for 121.5 MHz ELT signals ceased in February 2009.