History of Flight
On September 20, 2014, at approximately 2315 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA28R-180, registration N4618J, impacted terrain about 1.3 miles southeast of Shively Field Airport in Saratoga, Wyoming. The private pilot and student pilot were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from Shively Field Airport about 2314 under dark night conditions, destined for Denver, Colorado. A visual flight rules flight plan had not been filed.
The wreckage was discovered by a local rancher around 0815 on September 21. First responders confirmed both occupants were fatalities. The initial point of impact was a shallow 7-foot-long ground scar oriented on a magnetic bearing of 240 degrees, directly in line with the main wreckage located 130 feet away on the same bearing.
The registered owner reported receiving a voice message from the pilot at 2303 on September 20, stating they were preflighting the airplane in the dark. A return call at 2331 went unanswered.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 52, held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land issued May 26, 2014, and a third-class medical certificate issued September 9, 2013, with a corrective lenses limitation. The pilot's logbook showed 209.8 total flight hours, including 45.1 hours in the accident make and model, 12.9 hours in the previous 30 days, 3.3 hours of simulated instrument time, and 4.7 hours of night time.
The student pilot, age 54, held a student pilot certificate and third-class medical certificate issued September 18, 2013, with corrective lenses limitation. Her logbook indicated 7.2 flight hours as of her last logged instructional flight on August 26, 2014.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, retractable landing gear airplane, serial number 28R-30501, was manufactured in 1968. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180-hp engine, and a Hartzell HC-C2YK-1B two-bladed constant speed propeller. An annual inspection was completed on May 19, 2014, at 2,136.24 tachometer hours. The airspeed indicator, landing gear warning horn, and throttle gear warning microswitch were replaced on September 10, 2014, at 2,170.07 tachometer hours. A new altitude encoder mount was installed on September 18, 2014. The post-accident tachometer reading was 2,191.33 hours.
Meteorological Information
At 2335, the Automated Weather Observation System at Shively Field recorded wind from 140 degrees at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 13°C, dew point 6°C, and altimeter 30.36 inHg. Astronomical data indicated no moon illumination at the time of the accident, as the moon set at 1705 MDT on September 20.
Aerodrome Information
Shively Field Airport is an uncontrolled airport in Saratoga, Wyoming, at elevation 7,015 feet msl, with a single 8,801-foot runway oriented 050/230 degrees magnetic. The runway has medium intensity runway lights, pilot-activated via CTAF on 122.8 kHz. The airport beacon operates dusk to dawn. An AWOS-3PT broadcasts on 118.175 kHz.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The terrain consisted of rolling hills, prairie grass, and sagebrush at an elevation about 100 feet above runway elevation. The initial ground scar contained green/blue lens fragments. The main wreckage was upright on a heading of 212 degrees magnetic. The cockpit split open behind the firewall; the left wing remained attached, the right wing separated at the root. The fuselage behind the cabin and tail appeared undamaged. The propeller separated at the crankshaft flange. The engine remained on its mount, displaced down and right.
Control continuity was established from all control surfaces forward to the cabin, with restriction due to impact damage. The left wing showed leading edge crushing and 45° buckling of upper skin. The flaps were up, landing gear extended and locked. The right wing had aft and upward crushing at the tip; its flap was folded under. Fuel was observed in both wing tanks. The cockpit contained two iPads ejected forward; NTSB laboratory attempts to recover data were unsuccessful.
Engine examination revealed thumb compression on all cylinders, spark from both magnetos, fuel in the distribution valve, clear fuel injectors and screens. The vacuum pump was intact with even vane wear. Oil was present and the pickup screen clear.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies on both occupants, performed September 23, 2014, determined the cause of death as blunt force injuries. Toxicology tests on the pilot were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and listed drugs. For the student pilot, tests were negative for ethanol, positive for diphenhydramine in liver tissue, and pseudoephedrine in liver tissue and blood. Carbon monoxide and cyanide tests were not performed.
Additional Information
The FAA Airplane Flying Handbook notes that night flying requires awareness of limitations and greater reliance on flight instruments due to limited external visual references. FAA Advisory Circular 60-4A addresses spatial disorientation risks when natural horizon or surface references are obscured, common at night over sparsely populated areas.