History of Flight
On July 2, 2015, at an undetermined time, a Piper PA22-135 airplane, registration N8195C, collided with terrain near Carey, Idaho. The commercial pilot, who was also the owner, sustained fatal injuries, and the airplane was destroyed. The flight was operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The flight departed Malad City Airport (MLD), Malad City, Idaho, about 1105 mountain daylight time, with a planned destination of Stanley, Idaho. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot had originated the flight from Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY), Moab, Utah, and stopped at MLD, where he added 22 gallons of fuel to the airplane.
A SPOT device, a handheld GPS tracking device using satellite networks for text messaging and GPS tracking, was present on the airplane. Records from the satellite messaging provider contained four data points on July 2: a test point at 0814:57 MDT near CNY; a test point at 0959:11 about 23 nautical miles east of Ogden, Utah; a test point at 1046:14 in the ramp area of MLD; and a final test point at 1214:36 about 13 nautical miles southwest of the wreckage location.
An iPhone 5c found in the wreckage was examined. The pilot had sent a text message at 1122:07 indicating his estimated time of arrival at Stanley would be 2 hours later. When the pilot did not arrive in Stanley as expected, the family reported the airplane overdue, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an alert notice at 1907. The Civil Air Patrol located the wreckage at 1018 on July 3.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The first identified point of contact was a principal impact crater (PIC) several feet in diameter, with narrow ground scars extending in opposite directions from the center. The propeller was separated from the engine and partially buried in the PIC. A lens cap cover and red lens fragments were found at the end of the narrow ground scar farthest from the main wreckage. The main wreckage was upright, about 50 feet from the PIC, and oriented perpendicular to the narrow ground scars, with the nose pointing toward the PIC. Due to the condition of the wreckage, FAA inspectors were unable to establish flight control continuity.
A black liquid stain led to the oil cooler. The engine was under the cabin area, which was severely crushed and deformed. The right wing remained in position but sustained heavy aft crush damage. The left wing had rotated about 70 degrees clockwise from its position. The airframe had buckled 90 degrees down immediately forward of the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer and twisted 90 degrees counterclockwise. The trailing edges of the left elevator and rudder were on the ground; the outboard half of the right elevator and horizontal stabilizer were above the right wing. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Blaine County Coroner conducted an autopsy of the pilot, and the cause of death was reported as blunt force trauma. Toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Science Research Laboratory were negative for carbon monoxide and tested drugs. The testing detected 64 mg/dL ethanol in lung, 62 mg/dL ethanol in heart, and 61 mg/dL ethanol in blood. N-propanol was detected in heart, lung, and blood. The report noted that putrefaction of the specimens had occurred. Ethanol is the type of alcohol present in beer, wine, and liquor, and can cause impairment at low doses. Generally, rapid distribution of ethanol throughout the body after ingestion leads to similar levels in different tissues. A small amount of ethanol can be produced in tissues by postmortem microbial action, often in conjunction with other alcohols such as N-propanol, acetone, and methanol.