History of Flight
On June 15, 2016, at approximately 1409 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 320E airplane, registration N777GY, was destroyed when it struck terrain near Mineral County Memorial Airport (C24) in Creede, Colorado. The commercial pilot and two passengers sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was registered to Left Hand Financial, Inc., and operated by Rocky Mountain Aerial Surveys (RMAS) under contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial photography flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had departed Central Colorado Regional Airport (AEJ) in Buena Vista, Colorado, about 1307.
According to an RMAS employee, around 1240 the pilot called the RMAS base in Longmont, Colorado, for a mid-day briefing. The pilot reported that the airplane performed "fine" for the first 2.5 hours of surveying but, after departing AEJ about 1307, experienced an engine vibration felt on the right side and the airplane seemed slow. About 15 minutes after takeoff, the pilot called AEJ to report an issue and that he would return. After landing, the pilot and a local mechanic inspected the vibration. The pilot then called RMAS, and they agreed he would fly to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) in Longmont for maintenance, but he would update RMAS before departing AEJ. No further communications were received.
A Garmin GPSMAP 396 recovered from the wreckage provided data from 1307:41 to 1409:27. The data showed the airplane departed AEJ about 1307 and followed highways south, then west over Del Norte, Colorado, then northwest toward Creede. Approaching C24, it overflew a survey point north of the airport. The airplane maintained altitudes between 11,300 and 13,000 ft msl and groundspeeds of 120 to 169 knots for most of the approximately one-hour flight. During the last two minutes, it passed north of C24, circled to the south side, and descended. Groundspeed decreased from 141 to 119 to 98 knots, then increased to 128 knots before rapidly decreasing to 99 knots during a sharp left turn. The last data point at 1409:27 showed a GPS altitude of 8,665 ft and groundspeed of 99 knots. Data recording may have ended before the accident due to buffering.
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane in a left base turn for runway 25, at low altitude, with propellers turning. One witness stated the airplane yawed, then returned to wings-level and continued descending. Another noted the airplane did not appear aligned with the runway. Two witnesses said the landing gear were retracted. One witness reported the airplane flew about 10 ft above her house, veered left, and made loud revving noises. Two other witnesses about 1/4 mile west did not hear engine noise.
The accident site was 0.7 miles east of runway 25.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single- and multiengine land and instrument ratings. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued June 22, 2015, with the limitation to have available glasses for near vision. He reported about 1,591 total flight hours, with 230 in the previous 6 months, and no significant medical conditions or medications.
According to his logbook, his first flight in a Cessna 320 was in the accident airplane on August 20, 2015. He accumulated 28.9 hours in that airplane between August 20 and September 16, 2015, and an additional 71.5 hours between April 12 and May 5, 2016, totaling 100.4 hours in the Cessna 320. His total flight experience was 1,985.1 hours, with 295.1 in multiengine airplanes. His last flight review was July 7, 2014, in a Cessna 182.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA records, the low-wing, turbocharged, twin-engine airplane, serial number 320E0027, received its original airworthiness certificate on September 3, 1966, and was registered to the operator on September 6, 2011. It had been reconfigured from six seats to three seats to accommodate an aerial camera and survey equipment.
Maintenance records show Western Plains Aviation, LLC completed the last annual inspection on March 23, 2016, at a Hobbs time of 572.7 hours. The last airframe maintenance was June 6, 2016, at Hobbs 789.6, after the operator reported an in-flight vibration. Repairs included loosened gear doors and engine nacelle lower skins, installation of a Heli-Coil in the left engine oil drain pan, and replacement of a left gear indicator switch.
On March 21, 2016, at a TSMOH of 1,059.3 hours and Hobbs 572.7, the right engine was disassembled and repaired after spalled lifters were found during a top overhaul. It was reinstalled with existing mounts, hoses, and turbocharger components. The last right engine maintenance was April 1, 2016, at Hobbs 573.5, adjusting cowl flaps.
On June 19, 2013, at Hobbs 2,698.1 and TSMOH 1,703.7, the left engine's Nos. 2 and 4 cylinders were removed, repaired, and reinstalled. A new Hobbs meter was installed in 2014. On March 15, 2016, at Hobbs 572.7, the left engine was overhauled and overhauled turbocharger components installed. It was installed on March 23, 2016. The last maintenance was June 6, 2016, at Hobbs 789.6, installing a Heli-Coil in the left oil drain pan. The airplane's Hobbs meter was missing after the accident; the revenue Hobbs meter indicated 770.6 hours.
After the engines were overhauled in March 2016, an RMAS pilot ferried the airplane back to BJC and noticed a vibration later determined to be from a leaking fuel manifold valve. The fittings were tightened, and a subsequent ferry flight on June 13, 2016, was smooth. On the accident day, after takeoff from BJC, the accident pilot reported the airplane was operating "real smooth."
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane struck willow bushes then ground about 3,500 ft east-southeast of runway 25. Impact signatures indicated a slightly nose-low, left-wing-low attitude. The outboard 5 ft of the left wing separated. The fuselage slid right, with the right wing folded underneath. The aft fuselage was compromised just forward of the empennage. No fire occurred.
Flight control continuity was established. The rudder balance weight was found at initial ground contact. The rear flap actuator chain indicated flaps extended about 15°. Elevator trim was 10° tab-down, rudder trim neutral, aileron trim 10° tab-up. The landing gear actuator was in the retracted position, and gear was stowed.
The fuel selector handles for both engines were found in the "Left Main" position, but the fuel selector valves in the wings were positioned between main and auxiliary tank positions. The left main fuel tip tank was largely intact, and the right main tip tank separated into three sections. Fuel baffle displacement in both main tanks indicated they contained fuel at impact. Fuel drained from both wings during recovery. Fuel strainer screens were clear.
The ELT was found in the "OFF" position; no first responder reported turning it off.
Left engine examination revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Right engine examination also revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Left propeller blades showed chordwise paint erosion and spanwise gouges; one blade was rotated in the hub. Right propeller blades also had chordwise erosion, and one blade was twisted toward low pitch with deep leading-edge gouges.
Medical and Pathological Information
The El Paso County Coroner conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. The autopsy noted an enlarged heart and moderate two-vessel coronary artery disease, with no evidence of scarring or inflammation. Toxicology testing detected tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THC-COOH) in urine and less than 50 ng/ml of diphenhydramine in femoral blood.
FAA toxicology found diphenhydramine in urine but not at reportable levels in cavity blood, and THC in liver and lung but not at reportable levels in cavity blood. THC-COOH was detected at 20 ng/ml in urine, 12.4 ng/g in liver, and 17 ng/ml in cavity blood and lung. The detected levels would likely not have caused impairment.
Additional Information
The USDA contract specified survey flight altitudes and orientations. For sites of 500 acres or less, the nominal flight altitude above ground was 3,960 ft with a 6 ft focal lens; for larger sites, 6,000 ft. Deviations were not to exceed 2% low or 3% high. Flight orientation could be north-south or east-west, with horizontal deviation up to 356 ft.
Engine Test Runs
Both engines were tested at Continental Motors Inc. The left engine started without hesitation but initially would not produce full power due to a stripped b-nut on the upper deck reference line, likely damaged during baffle removal. After replacing the b-nut, it ran normally at all power settings for 30 minutes, producing rated horsepower. Curled metal shavings were found in the oil sump and filter before and after the test, but they did not affect operation.
The right engine was tested using the left engine's throttle body due to a bent link rod and fractured fitting. After repair, it started and ran normally at all power settings for 30 minutes, producing rated horsepower. A second test with the original metering unit also ran normally. Oil filters showed no abnormal contamination.
Propeller Examinations
Both propellers sustained impact damage consistent with rotation at low to no engine power. Blade positions indicated they were near the low pitch position at impact, and neither propeller was feathered.
Electronic Devices
Five devices were examined. The Garmin GPSMAP 396 provided flight data. A Dell laptop had no pertinent data. A NovAtel device recorded five flights but not the accident flight. Two Apple iPhones were found; one required a passcode, the other (pilot's phone) showed the user checked aviation weather between 11:11 and 11:13 on the accident day.