Accident Overview
On November 5, 2013, about 1912 central standard time, a Piper PA-32R-301, registration N408DM, operated by Wisconsin Aviation and registered to RFG LLC, collided with trees and terrain during an instrument approach to Kirksville Regional Airport (IRK) in Kirksville, Missouri. The flight instructor and private pilot were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The business/instructional flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 and operated in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) on an instrument flight plan. The flight originated from Centennial Airport (APA) in Denver, Colorado, about 1543.
Flight History
The private pilot had flown to Denver for a business trip and was receiving instrument flight instruction from the flight instructor as part of the Pilot Mentor Program. Earlier that day, the pilots departed Kearney, Nebraska, at 0804, landed in Sterling, Colorado, then proceeded to Centennial Airport. At Centennial, the airplane was topped off with 42 gallons of fuel. After a weather briefing through DUATS, the flight instructor contacted flight service at 1349 to cancel a previous flight plan to Quincy, Illinois, and file a new one to Kirksville, stating they had 6 hours of fuel aboard for the 3-hour 45-minute flight. The airplane departed Centennial at 1443 mountain standard time en route to Kirksville.
Radar data showed a direct route. The airplane was cleared for the RNAV GPS Runway 18 approach by Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center and switched to the common traffic advisory frequency at Kirksville. A fixed-base operator (FBO) employee reported that the pilot checked in at 7 miles and 5 miles from the airport, then keyed the radio to activate pilot-controlled lighting. The FBO provided wind and altimeter information, but the pilot did not respond. When the airplane did not land, the FBO attempted contact without success. The last radar target was about 0.4 miles west of the initial tree impact at 1,900 feet.
A witness living half a mile south of the accident site reported hearing an airplane near his house around 1900 and a loud noise shortly after; the engine sounded normal.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor held commercial pilot, CFI, and instrument ratings, with a second-class medical certificate issued July 16, 2013, requiring glasses for near vision. His total flight time was 10,367.5 hours, including 19.1 hours in the accident airplane, 359.3 hours of actual instrument time, and 134.9 hours of simulated instrument time. His most recent flight review was on October 24, 2013.
The private pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land rating, issued September 23, 2011, and a third-class medical certificate dated September 30, 2013, requiring glasses for near vision. He reported 365 total flight hours, with 55 hours in the previous six months. His logbook was not located; his last flight review was on October 7, 2013, noted in the instructor's logbook.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA-32R-301, serial number 32R-8113012, was a six-place, low-wing, single-engine airplane with retractable landing gear. It was purchased by Wisconsin Aviation in March 2012 and sold to RFG LLC in April 2012, then leased back to Wisconsin Aviation for rental and training. The last annual inspection was completed May 15, 2013, at 3,057.7 hours; a 100-hour inspection was completed October 30, 2013, at 3,157.0 hours. The tachometer at the accident was 282.1 hours. The Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D engine, rated at 300 horsepower, had been removed after a propeller strike in April 2013, repaired, and reinstalled on May 15, 2013. The Hartzell propeller, model HC-C3YR-1RF, was installed on April 15, 2013. No preimpact anomalies were identified with the engine or propeller.
Meteorological Information
At 1855, the Kirksville AWOS reported wind from 170° at 15 knots gusting to 20 knots, visibility 9 miles with mist, ceiling 800 feet overcast, temperature 14°C, dew point 13°C, and altimeter 29.92 inHg. Three AIRMETS were active: ZULU for icing above 5,000 feet, SIERA for instrument conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibility below 3 miles, and TANGO for moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet. A Cape Air pilot who flew the GPS 18 approach 15 minutes before the accident reported strong southerly winds gusting over 20 knots, ground speed 25-35 knots lower than indicated airspeed, light to moderate rain, continuous light to occasional moderate turbulence, and breaking out of clouds at 1,600 feet mean sea level.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located about 3.5 miles north of IRK at an elevation of approximately 925 feet. The airplane first struck a 70-foot tall tree on a rolling hill, then continued over the crest and down the other side, creating a debris path about 790 feet long. The fuselage came to rest inverted at the edge of a bean field. Both wings separated at the root; the landing gear was extended. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left main tank. Examination of the engine showed compression on all cylinders, spark from the magneto, and no anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. The propeller blades were bent rearward with gouges and chordwise scratching.
Medical and Pathology
Autopsies attributed the deaths of both pilots to injuries from the accident. Toxicology testing of the private pilot detected diphenhydramine (0.109 μg/mL), a sedating antihistamine, at a level within the therapeutic range. The flight instructor had a history of coronary artery disease; autopsy revealed moderate to severe stenosis. Toxicology detected dextromethorphan, metoprolol, and salicylate, consistent with over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Additional Information
A Cape Air pilot noted a white flashing light from radio/antenna towers near the approach course during his approach, which he found slightly confusing but not disorienting. Another pilot familiar with the area considered the tower light distracting but did not notice it on the accident night. A damaged iPad recovered from the site could not be read due to impact damage.