History of Flight
On July 24, 2015, at 0122 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-151 airplane, N32401, impacted terrain approximately one mile northwest of the approach end of runway 13 at Truth or Consequences Municipal Airport (TCS), Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The student pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from TCS at an undetermined time.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 46, held a combined student pilot and second-class pilot certificate issued on July 9, 2012. The medical certificate expired on July 31, 2014. The pilot had three instructor endorsements for solo flight privileges, the most recent dated May 4, 2014. The pilot's logbook showed 65.1 hours total time as of April 16, 2014, with the last instructional flight on March 9, 2014. No endorsements for solo night flights were present. As a student pilot, he was not authorized to carry passengers.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was a low-wing, single-engine, four-seat Piper PA-28-151 (serial number 28-7515147), manufactured in 1974. It was powered by a Lycoming O-320-E3D engine and a two-bladed fixed-pitch propeller. The pilot purchased the airplane in March 2012.
Meteorological Information
At 1353 on the accident day, TCS automated weather reported wind from 310° at 11 knots gusting to 18 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear sky, temperature 77°F, dew point 54°F, barometric pressure 30.12 inches of mercury. The moon set at 0039 on July 24, so no moonlight was available; only celestial and cultural lighting were present.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage was located in flat desert terrain with sparse vegetation. The initial impact point was a 3-foot-diameter crater with two faint outlines consistent with wing leading edges. The nose gear was broken and imbedded outside the crater. Impact signatures indicated a vertical impact along a 070° magnetic heading. The propeller separated from the engine flange, and the wreckage came to rest about 70 feet northeast of the initial impact site, aligned on a 105° heading. Flight control continuity was established from control surfaces to the cabin area. The flap position was retracted, the ignition switch was in the both position, the left main fuel gauge indicated 10 gallons, and the tachometer showed about 2,800 RPM. The Hobbs meter read 5,666.4 hours. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was activated but no beacon was received. Both forward occupant restraints were latched. A 24-hour analog watch belonging to one occupant stopped at 0122 hours.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy conducted on the pilot by the State of New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator determined the cause of death as multiple injuries, ruled an accident. Toxicological tests by the FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute were negative for tested drugs but positive for ethanol (145 mg/dL in muscle, 54 mg/dL in brain) and acetone. The specimens were marked as putrefied.
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a night departure, which resulted in impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of night flying experience and his improper decision to conduct a night personal flight with a passenger while he was not authorized.