History of Flight
On June 14, 2015, at 0746 central daylight time, a Piper PA32-300 airplane, N2966X, experienced an inflight break up and subsequently collided with trees and terrain near Cuba, Missouri. The private rated pilot and one canine passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to LIMB-A-NATOR LLC, O'Fallon, Missouri, and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was on an instrument flight rules flight plan. It departed from Branson West Municipal Airport at 0701 en route to Creve Coeur Airport, St. Louis, Missouri.
The pilot was in radar and radio contact with Kansas City Air Route Traffic Control Center. At 0716:09, the controller advised of moderate to extreme precipitation from 10 to 2 o'clock, beginning in 50 miles, about 30 miles in diameter. The pilot acknowledged and stated he had "a scope onboard." At 0745:16, the pilot said he was in the middle of the precipitation with no bumps and that his Stormscope showed some returns to the right, with a little on NEXRAD. At 0746, ARTCC lost radar contact and could not reestablish radio contact.
Radar data showed the airplane made a right descending turn in its final moments. One witness saw pieces falling as the airplane spun, then heard a crash. Another witness saw the airplane descend through clouds; a wing and other parts were falling separately.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 54, held a private pilot certificate with single-engine and instrument ratings. On September 24, 2014, he was issued a third-class medical certificate requiring glasses for near vision, reporting 1,175 total hours. On November 21, 2014, he received a time-limited Special Issuance Certificate valid until September 30, 2015, for CPAP therapy for sleep apnea. As of May 26, 2015, he had logged 1,203.1 total hours, about 1,048 in the accident airplane, and 3.7 hours in the preceding 90 days. He completed a biennial flight review and instrument proficiency check on March 7, 2014, and logged 11.3 hours in actual IFR conditions and three approaches since.
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, low-wing, fixed tricycle landing gear airplane was manufactured in 1979, powered by a 300-horsepower Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 engine driving a three-blade constant speed Hartzell propeller. It was inspected on October 9, 2014, at 3,956.72 tachometer hours and found airworthy. A Stormscope WX-10 Weather Mapping System was installed. The pilot stated he had NEXRAD onboard, but the investigation found no evidence of NEXRAD capability.
The Pilot Operating Handbook specified a maximum structural cruising speed of 149 KIAS and design maneuvering speed of 131 KIAS at 3,400 lbs and 114 KIAS at 2,400 lbs.
Meteorological Information
At 0716, Rolla National Airport (16 miles west) reported wind 200° at 11 knots, 3 miles visibility, light rain, mist, scattered clouds at 900 ft, broken at 2,400 ft, overcast at 4,600 ft, temperature/dew point 70°F, altimeter 29.97 inHg. At 0736, wind 190° at 8 knots, 10 miles visibility, few at 700 ft, broken at 3,800 ft, overcast at 4,800 ft, temperature/dew point 70°F, altimeter 29.98; rain ended at 0731. At 0753, similar with rain ended.
Weather radar from KLSX depicted moderate to high reflectivity northeast of and in the flight path, consistent with convective activity. The airplane made a right turn in front of moving reflectivity. At its final position, it was in a small void. No SIGMETs were active. Two AIRMETs were active below 10,000 ft. Lightning networks detected no lightning from 0730 to 0746. The pilot obtained a DUATS weather brief at 0456.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was 0.5 miles northwest of Cuba Municipal Airport at 995 ft msl. Debris extended 0.65 miles on a 120° heading. The main wreckage included the fuselage, portions of the empennage, nose gear, right wing, and engine. The fuselage was breached and twisted; the left main carry-through spar exhibited upward bending. The stabilator was found separated in three sections with paint transfer marks. The left wing separated at the root; the right wing remained attached but twisted. The engine exhibited impact damage; propeller blades showed leading edge damage and bending. Flight control cables were cut or had tension overload separations. The postaccident examination revealed no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on June 15, 2015, listed the cause of death as blunt trauma secondary to an airplane crash. A full autopsy was not possible due to the body's condition; no comments on flight safety hazards were made. The FAA Forensic Toxicology Fatal Accident Report detected no medications, illicit drugs, or alcohol that could pose hazards to flight safety.