History
On July 6, 2014, at approximately 0920 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-180 (registration N3723T) collided with mountainous terrain near Lake Elsinore, California. The private pilot and two passengers died, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The airplane departed French Valley Airport (F70) in Murrieta, California, at about 0815. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying extremely low. One witness, standing in a restaurant parking lot with about 25 others, heard and observed the airplane buzz overhead. The airplane made a banking turn of about 45 degrees toward the ridgeline, during which a hydraulic noise was heard and the landing gear doors opened and the landing gear extended. The witness noted the gear took about three seconds to lower. The engine sounded as if it was operating at about half power. The airplane leveled off in a southwesterly direction, barely cleared powerlines, and proceeded toward the ridge before going out of sight. About five seconds later, a plume of smoke was observed. The witness stated it appeared the pilot was "showing off."
Another witness videoed the flyby from the same parking lot. The video showed the airplane approaching from the southeast with steady engine RPM and the landing gear retracted. The pilot executed a hard left turn; as the airplane leveled off to the southwest, the landing gear was extended. The airplane then disappeared from view as it flew toward rising terrain, with the right wing slightly lower than the left. The video ends, and the witness reported seeing a cloud of smoke shortly after.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 49, held a private pilot certificate with an instrument rating (issued January 18, 2004) and a third-class medical certificate (issued April 17, 2014, with no limitations). At his most recent medical examination, he reported 3,400 total flight hours, with none in the preceding six months. A friend reported that the pilot purchased the airplane in about 2008 and used it to commute for one or two years. After a change in work, the pilot did not fly for about five years. During that time, the engine was overhauled and the airframe completely inspected. The airplane was test flown and broken in 5–7 weeks prior to the accident, and the pilot had mentioned it was flying better than ever.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA-28R-180 (serial number 28R-30029) is a four-seat, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane manufactured in 1967. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180-horsepower engine and equipped with a Hartzell constant-speed propeller. Maintenance logbook records showed an annual inspection was completed on May 12, 2014, at a tachometer reading of 4,651.1 hours and an airframe total time of 9,487.1 hours. The tachometer and Hobbs meter were unreadable due to damage.
The airplane was equipped with a backup landing gear extension system that automatically lowers the gear at airspeeds between about 85 and 105 mph, depending on power setting, regardless of the gear handle position. This system can be overridden by manually holding the emergency gear lever up. The mechanic who performed the last annual inspection reported the backup system was operational and had not been disabled.
Weather
The nearest weather reporting station, at March Air Reserve Base (RIV) in Riverside, California (about 17 miles north of the accident site), reported at 0858: calm wind, clear skies, visibility 10 statute miles, temperature 28°C, dewpoint 7°C, and altimeter setting 30.06 inHg. Witnesses described the wind as calm.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located about 560 yards southwest of the restaurant parking lot at an elevation of approximately 2,585 feet. The first points of impact were three topped trees near the edge of a ravine. About 20 feet beyond the trees, the right wing and right main landing gear were found. The wing sustained fire damage in the fuel tank area. The main wreckage came to rest at the bottom of the ravine. The engine was inverted, partially buried in dirt and debris. One propeller blade was visible with its outboard third bent forward; the other blade was bent aft at midspan and partly under the firewall. The forward cabin, heavily damaged and burned, was on top of and slightly to the right of the engine. The instrument panel was unreadable; the fuel selector was not located. The seats and rear bench were burned. The empennage and left wing also sustained heavy fire damage. Control continuity was established throughout the airframe; some cables had fracture patterns consistent with tension overload, and empennage cables were cut by emergency personnel.
Additional Information
Piper Aircraft Corporation issued mandatory service bulletin No. 769 (October 19, 1983) recommending installation of a landing gear backup extension override mechanism. Later, on March 4, 1988, service bulletin No. 866A required either removal of the backup system or that the owner/operator review and understand the system. To remove the system, service bulletin No. 769 must have been complied with. If retaining the system, a copy of the bulletin must be attached to the flight manual and an entry made in the logbook.
Medical and Pathological
An autopsy performed on the pilot on July 8, 2014, listed the cause of death as thermal injuries with inhalation of products of combustion. Forensic toxicology tests were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and tested drugs.
Tests and Research
The airplane was recovered and examined. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airframe or engine were found that would have precluded normal operations. The engine showed no evidence of catastrophic failure. The throttle was found full open but bent from thermal damage. The magnetos were damaged and untestable. The propeller could not be rotated due to melted aluminum restricting the crankshaft. Borescope examination of cylinders showed intact and undamaged combustion chambers, piston heads, and valves. No evidence of oil deprivation or contamination was noted.