Accident Overview
On October 6, 2013, at approximately 0251 local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registration N4089W, was destroyed when it impacted terrain about 3 miles north of Tinian International Airport on Tinian Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The airline transport pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries, while four passengers received serious injuries. The aircraft was operating under 14 CFR Part 135 on a company VFR flight plan from Tinian Airport to Saipan International Airport, a 10-nautical-mile night cross-country flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at Tinian Airport at departure around 0241.
Flight Operations and Witness Accounts
The operator reported that the aircraft was one of six used to transport a group of 127 Chinese tourists and guides from Tinian to Saipan to connect with a flight to Shanghai. Weather at both airports was reported as VFR, but other company pilots noted rain showers occasionally passing between the islands. One company pilot, who departed immediately after the accident aircraft, observed the accident pilot turn left to a crosswind leg after takeoff from runway 08. The pilot recalled seeing the accident airplane flying northwest toward the Voice of America (VOA) antennas, a group of strobe-lighted antennas up to 400 feet tall on the northwest side of Tinian. There was a rain shower in the channel, and he could not see Saipan Airport at takeoff. He heard the accident pilot respond "heading toward VOA" when asked his direction. The company pilot then switched to Saipan ATCT frequency, where the controller was providing weather information.
The Saipan controller stated that the accident pilot requested weather information; the controller responded that he did not have Tinian or the VOA antenna lights in sight. The pilot acknowledged, and no further communication occurred. The controller noted that it was mostly clear over Saipan, with weather over Tinian.
The company's chief pilot, landing at Tinian as the accident airplane took off, reported visibility of about 4 miles with rain in the channel. After picking up passengers, he departed for Saipan 5 to 10 minutes later. At that time, weather over Tinian was good but the channel was blocked by a rain shower; he held for about 5 minutes until it cleared.
A security guard at the VOA antenna site reported seeing the airplane fly by at an estimated altitude of less than 500 feet, lower than usual. He observed a sharp left turn, assuming the aircraft was returning to Tinian, and then heard a crash. He reported light rain at the time, with the aircraft below the clouds.
Pilot Information
The pilot, aged 59, held an airline transport pilot certificate with multi-engine land rating and commercial privileges in single-engine land airplanes. He also held a flight instructor certificate with single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument ratings, expiring July 31, 2014. His most recent first-class medical certificate was issued October 16, 2012, with the limitation requiring glasses for near/intermediate vision. According to the operator, the pilot had 5,573 total flight hours, including 499 hours in the accident make and model. He logged 1,111 hours of night flying and 430 hours of instrument experience (350 in actual IMC). In the preceding 90, 30, and 24 hours, he flew 240, 50, and 3 hours, respectively, in the accident aircraft type, with night experience of 61, 50, and 3 hours. His most recent Part 135 proficiency check was completed on March 7, 2013, in a Piper PA-32-300.
On the morning of October 5, 2013, the pilot was involved in an incident where he inadvertently taxied an aircraft (Piper PA-32-300, N8639N) off the taxiway into a ditch at Tinian Airport. The pilot was the sole occupant and was not injured, but the aircraft sustained a propeller strike. The director of operations (DO) stated it was dark and a taxiway light was out. Two other company pilots had similar trouble at the same location that night without damage. The DO discussed the incident with the pilot around 0800 and saw him again that evening, noting the pilot "appeared fine." When asked if he felt okay to fly that night, the pilot replied that he was okay.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was maintained under an FAA-approved inspection program, with its most recent inspection completed on October 5, 2013. At the time of the accident, the airframe had accumulated 17,003 hours. The engine, a Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, had 1,380 hours since major overhaul. The aircraft was equipped with a Garmin Aera 500 portable GPS navigation device with a moving map display.
Meteorological Conditions
At 0254, an automated weather station at Saipan Airport (about 7 nautical miles north of the accident site) reported wind from 070 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, scattered clouds at 1,600 feet, broken clouds at 2,300 feet, temperature 26°C, dew point 24°C, and altimeter 29.71 inches of mercury. The remarks noted rain from 0159 to 0230. Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR-88D) imagery from Anderson Air Force Base, Guam (about 100 nautical miles south) indicated an area of precipitation moving westward from offshore and covering the northern end of Tinian Island between 0245 and 0251.
Wreckage and Impact
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage. The airplane impacted trees; both wings and the empennage separated from the fuselage. The main wreckage, including the fuselage and engine, came to rest about 200 feet from the first tree impact point. The debris path was oriented on a heading of about 130 degrees (southeast). The fuselage rested on its right side, with the cabin roof separated and lying beneath the aft fuselage. The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft; all three blades were bent and twisted in a manner consistent with the engine developing power at impact. No pre-impact mechanical anomalies or malfunctions were found that would have precluded normal operation.
GPS Data
A Garmin Aera 500 portable GPS unit was recovered and its track data downloaded. The data showed the aircraft departed Tinian Airport and turned left to a north/northeast heading until reaching the eastern shore of Tinian. It then made a right 270-degree turn to a northwesterly heading, maintained until about 1650 UTC (or local time equivalent). At 1649:40, the GPS altitude was 1,135 feet, and the aircraft began a left turn and descent. The last recorded data point at 1651:14 indicated a GPS altitude of 302 feet, with the aircraft having turned about 180 degrees and heading roughly southeast.
The accident site was located about 3 miles north of Tinian Airport and 1.5 miles east/southeast of the VOA antennas, on a hill in densely wooded jungle at an elevation of about 450 feet. The chief pilot determined the aircraft was overdue between 0305 and 0315, notified Saipan ATCT, and a search began. The wreckage was found about 1035.