History of Flight
On June 16, 2016, at 1106 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, registration N2412D, collided with power lines and terrain shortly after departing from Madison Municipal Airport (IMS) in Madison, Indiana. The private pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The aircraft was privately owned and operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight.
An employee at the fixed base operator reported assisting the pilot with the self-serve fuel pump before departure. She watched from inside as the airplane took off, noting that it appeared stable but remained low as it passed her view. Shortly after, the FBO building experienced a momentary power loss.
A nearby resident reported hearing a loud impact at 1106, seeing lights flicker, and observing flames in a neighboring field. He ran to the site and saw the airplane's right wing pointing upward with flames reaching treetop height.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating issued in 1969 and an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. He was issued a third-class medical certificate on July 22, 2015, with a limitation valid until July 31, 2016. On the application, he reported 216 total flight hours, with none in the previous six months. His logbooks were not located.
A flight instructor who flew with the pilot on November 14, 2015, for a flight review reported that the pilot was "very rusty" and had difficulty with pitch control, airspeed control, flaring, and maintaining directional control; he did not pass the review. The instructor recommended additional dual instruction. They flew again on March 14, 2016, but the instructor again declined to endorse the flight review. The pilot later expressed frustration but eventually acknowledged the instructor's assessment.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft and engine logbooks were not located. According to the last mechanic, the most recent annual inspection was performed on February 6, 2016, at a total time of 4,920.2 hours. The engine had 962.9 hours since major overhaul. The airplane was fueled with 12.27 gallons of 100LL fuel just before the flight; the total fuel onboard at takeoff was unknown.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was located 1/2 mile south of the departure end of runway 21, in a field under two sets of power transmission lines spaced about 55 feet apart. A transmission wire on the second set was damaged, with only a few strands remaining. The towers were about 80 feet tall; the wreckage was 72 feet southwest of the closest tower. A top wooden structure on one H-tower support was broken, with wood fragments scattered nearby.
The airplane sustained impact and fire damage. The cockpit/cabin was destroyed by fire. The empennage separated from the fuselage due to fire, remaining attached by control cables. The left elevator and horizontal stabilizer had impact damage but remained attached; the right horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached but were partially destroyed by fire and impact. The inboard left wing was partially consumed by fire, with a small flap section attached. The outboard 3 feet of the left wing and aileron, including the wingtip and counterweight, were present. The right wing separated at the root and lay inverted on top of the cockpit and engine; the inboard fuel tank was breached and the fuel cap secured. The right wingtip was found about 30 feet away with scrape marks matching the tower wood.
Flight control continuity was established from cockpit controls to surfaces. The flap handle assembly was separated; the pushrod remained attached to the torque tube, and the pin was in the middle detent position, correlating to 21° flap extension. The fuel selector position could not be determined due to thermal damage. The engine was intact but thermally damaged, with impact damage to the exhaust stack. The carburetor was secure; no fuel was present in the carburetor or fuel pump. The magnetos and vacuum pump were thermally damaged and could not be tested. The engine was rotated freely after removing the accessory housing; valve train continuity was confirmed, and compression was verified on all cylinders. Spark plugs showed normal wear, except the No. 2 cylinder bottom plug was oil-soaked. The propeller had one straight blade with a 1/2-inch gouge; the other blade was bent rearward 50° starting 10 inches from the hub, with a gouge and missing tip.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot's death to multiple traumatic injuries. Forensic toxicology performed by the FAA was negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and tested-for drugs.