History of Flight
On December 12, 2013, about 1155 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, N8037P, impacted terrain near Collbran, Colorado. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The local flight originated from Mack Mesa Airport (10CO), Mack, Colorado, about 1115. The purpose of the flight was to search for lost cattle. The airplane was observed by residents maneuvering at low altitude, but there were no witnesses to the accident sequence. The airplane was reported overdue, and an ALNOT was issued. The wreckage was located about 0100 on December 13, 2013, in a sparsely wooded area with rising terrain.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 49, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single engine land. He was issued an unrestricted third class medical on October 17, 2013, with a reported history of back pain that resolved with no further pain and full function. The pilot had accumulated 545.6 total hours, with about 200-300 hours in make and model. His most recent flight review was on January 26, 2012, in the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a single-engine, low-wing Piper PA-24-250, serial number 24-3284, manufactured in 1962. It was powered by a 250-horsepower Lycoming IO-540-C1B5 engine (serial number L-388-48) driving a two-blade Hartzell HCA2VK1 propeller. The most recent inspection was a combined 100-hour and annual inspection on October 10, 2013, at a total airframe and engine time of 4,086.6 hours, tachometer time of 247.2 hours, and 177.4 hours since engine overhaul.
Meteorological Information
At 1153, an automated weather observation from Garfield County Regional Airport (RIL), 19 miles northwest, reported calm wind, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 16°F, dew point 9°F, and barometric pressure 30.43 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located about 15 miles east of Collbran, Colorado, at a measured altitude of 8,188 feet. The airplane came to rest upright, aligned on a 200-degree magnetic heading. The engine and propeller were submerged in snow-packed ground and could not be accessed on site. The fuselage was broken at the firewall; the remainder of the airplane was intact. Both wings exhibited rearward accordion-style crushing. The right wing, outboard of the flap, was bent upward about 45 degrees. The empennage was buckled in several locations and distorted about 15 degrees to the right. Flight control continuity was established from the controls to all surfaces. Most cockpit instruments and controls were impact damaged. The mixture, throttle, and propeller controls were in full forward positions. The flaps were retracted. The manifold pressure gauge read 16.5 inches; the tachometer showed 249 hours. The fuel selector was found selecting the left main tank, but impact damage precluded determining its pre-impact position. No fuel was detected in the left main or left auxiliary tank; an undetermined amount was in the right main and right auxiliary tanks. No fuel stains or smell were present under the wings. During recovery months later, no fuel was found in any tanks.
The airplane was recovered to private property and examined by the NTSB with assistance from Lycoming. Continuity and thumb compression were established to all cylinders. Both magnetos produced spark. All oil and fuel screens were clear and unobstructed. No engine anomalies were detected. Both propeller blades showed leading edge polishing and chordwise scratches; one blade was bent nearly 90 degrees aft just outboard of the root; the other remained nearly straight.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on the pilot reported the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries, manner of death accident. Found in the pilot's pants pocket was a small container of green, leafy material suggestive of marijuana (not tested). Forensic toxicology on the pilot detected 0.3474 ug/ml tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) in lung, 0.0039 ug/ml in blood (cavity), 0.0628 ug/ml tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid in liver, 0.017 ug/ml in lung, and 0.0096 ug/ml in blood (cavity). The specimens were not from sources that could accurately determine pre-mortem blood levels; levels in the lungs suggested recent use, but an accurate time frame could not be determined.
Additional Information
According to an associate, the flight was intended to search for missing cattle. The flight was originally planned as a two-seat Piper PA-22-108 with another pilot and one passenger, but for undetermined reasons, the pilot flew two passengers in the four-seat PA-24-250. The pilot intended to be compensated but did not possess a commercial pilot certificate.
A Garmin GPSMap 496 found in the wreckage was sent to the NTSB for data extraction. Data showed departure from Mack Mesa at 1115, flying east at about 4,000 feet above ground level. At 1138, the airplane crossed Vega Reservoir at about 11,600 feet, then continued southeast about 10 miles before flying several north-south legs east of Porter Mountain at altitudes varying between 300-500 feet agl and airspeeds between 97-139 knots. The last recorded point at 1155:07 was at 8,525 feet, 136 knots, heading 295 degrees, about 1.4 miles northeast of the accident site.