History of Flight
On June 13, 2014, at 0808 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-500TP, registration N5335R, was destroyed when it collided with trees and terrain after takeoff from runway 16 at Westchester County Airport (HPN), White Plains, New York. The private pilot was fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight destined for Portland International Jetport (PWM), Portland, Maine. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot had flown from PWM to HPN the previous day for a family event. The fixed base operator (FBO) at HPN serviced the airplane with 60 gallons of fuel, filling the tanks, and was advised to expect the pilot at 0900 the next day for his return flight. Instead, the pilot arrived at 0745 and requested immediate departure. The pilot contacted HPN ground control for taxi instructions and was subsequently cleared for takeoff.
Air traffic control and radar data from the FAA revealed that the airplane departed at 0808. Shortly after, the HPN tower controller was contacted by ground and departure controllers inquiring if the airplane had departed; the tower controller responded, "I have no idea. We have zero visibility." Only five radar targets were captured, all over HPN airport property. The first three targets began about mid-runway, indicating an altitude of about 500 feet mean sea level (msl); airport elevation is 439 feet. The final two targets depicted a shallow right turn at 600 and 700 feet before radar contact was lost. The final target was about one half-mile from the accident site.
The airplane collided with trees and terrain behind a house and in front of horse stables on residential property. Two witnesses at the stables stated the weather was "dark, rainy, and foggy." Their attention was drawn to the airplane when it appeared out of the clouds above the trees, traveling "very fast." One witness heard the airplane before seeing it. They reported that the airplane impacted trees in a level attitude and was enveloped by a cloud of "blue smoke" with the odor of diesel fuel.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA Class 3 Limited, Special Issuance medical certificate was issued on November 25, 2013, not valid after July 31, 2014. He reported 5,100 flight hours on his application. Examination of his logbook showed 5,371.6 total hours. In 2013, he logged 126.7 hours, all in the accident airplane. In 2014, he logged 7.3 hours, last entry on February 28, 2014. A pre-printed sticker dated May 14, 2014, indicated an aircraft specific instrument proficiency check and flight review were completed, including 9.9 hours ground and 1.1 hours flight on that date.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 2001 and equipped with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A, 850 hp turboprop engine. The most recent annual inspection was completed June 3, 2014, at a total aircraft time of 1,927.2 hours.
Meteorological Information
The 0815 weather observation at HPN, one mile north of the accident site, included an overcast ceiling at 200 feet and one-quarter mile visibility in fog. Wind from 090 degrees at 6 knots. Temperature 17°C, dew point 17°C, altimeter 29.85 inHg. Weather at PWM at the proposed arrival time included an overcast ceiling at 300 feet with 1.5 miles visibility in light rain and fog.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was examined on June 14, 2014. A strong fuel odor was present, and all major components were accounted for. The wreckage path was oriented on a heading of 270 degrees magnetic, approximately 360 feet long. Initial impact was in a tree about 60 feet high. The airplane struck several trees before impacting the ground about 205 feet beyond the first tree strike. Angularly-cut wood pieces were found throughout the debris field.
The airplane was fragmented and scattered along the wreckage path. Control continuity to the wings could not be confirmed due to multiple control cable and bellcrank breaks, all consistent with overload; control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to the rudder and elevator. The fuselage lay on its left side against a tree 280 feet down the wreckage path. The instrument panel and cockpit were destroyed. The cabin and empennage were largely intact. Landing gear and wing flaps were retracted.
The engine and propeller were about 290 feet down the wreckage path, separated by 20 feet. All four propeller blades exhibited similar twisting, bending, leading/trailing edge gouging, and chord-wise scratching. One blade was fractured near its root and outboard tip, with pieces recovered at the site. The engine was upright, separated from the airplane. The accessory gearbox and inlet case were fractured. Compressor blades had tips bent opposite the direction of rotation. The exhaust duct and gas generator were impact-compressed. Examination of hot section components revealed rotational scoring on turbine blades and discs, consistent with contact between adjacent stages.
Additional Information
The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing from Lockheed-Martin Flight Service or DUATS. He filed an IFR flight plan through DUATS without an alternate airport. 14 CFR Part 91.169 requires an alternate when forecast ceiling is less than 2,000 feet and visibility less than 3 miles within one hour before and after ETA. The pilot's family provided a timeline of his activities; he had a meeting that day that was very important to him. The Westchester Four departure procedure instructed: "Takeoff Runway 16: Climb heading 162 to 800 feet, then climbing right turn heading 320, maintain 3,000 feet." The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook describes spatial disorientation hazards; the FAA publication Medical Facts for Pilots discusses vestibular illusions, including the head-up illusion from forward acceleration during takeoff, which may cause a pilot to push the nose down. FAA Advisory Circular AC 60-22 mentions "get-there-itis" as a behavioral trap.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Westchester County Office of Laboratories and Research performed an autopsy; the cause of death was blunt force injuries. Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and all tested-for drugs and their metabolites.
Tests and Research
A touchscreen tablet and an airframe-mounted data acquisition unit were recovered and sent to the NTSB Recorder's Laboratory. No usable data was recovered.