History of Flight
On September 11, 2016, at 1813 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registration N821ET, impacted an airport parking lot after takeoff from Reno/Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Reno, Nevada. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to RCS3 LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed for the personal flight destined for San Carlos Airport (SQL), San Carlos, California.
The purpose of the flight was to transport the rear-seat passenger from Nevada to California, where a series of warrants had been issued for her arrest. The front-seat passenger was a California-based bail bondsman, and the pilot was his associate. Security video footage and records from the fixed-base operator (FBO) at RNO indicated that the airplane arrived at the FBO about 1715. A fuel order was placed 5 minutes later, and the pilot and bail bondsman walked to the FBO's reception area. Fueling was complete by 1725, and by 1741 the pilot returned. He removed chocks, leaned over the wings, and appeared to briefly look into both fuel tank filler necks before boarding. About 5 minutes later the bail bondsman arrived with the arrested passenger, who was restrained by leg chains. Her entry into the airplane was obscured by the fuselage, but she appeared to make multiple attempts to step up into the cabin. After about 3 minutes of maneuvering, she was onboard, followed by the bail bondsman. The engine was started at 1753, and the airplane taxied away from the ramp at 1804.
Witnesses reported that the airplane began its takeoff roll from the threshold of runway 25 and, after rotation, climbed to about 200 to 300 ft above ground level (agl) before leveling off. A line technician for a local FBO, positioned on the ramp just north of runway 25 and 2,000 ft from the threshold, stated that the airplane initiated rotation abeam his position and immediately began to rock around its longitudinal axis. The nose pitched up to a high angle and remained in that attitude as the airplane continued flying above the runway while slowly climbing. He described the wing-rocking movements as far more exaggerated than anything he had seen. He then watched the airplane veer to the right.
About 90 seconds after issuing takeoff clearance, the airport tower controller, concerned that the airplane was not gaining altitude, asked the pilot if he was ok. The pilot responded, "Negative we got ah, we got a problem." Ten seconds later, the tower controller cleared the pilot to land on any runway. The pilot made no further transmissions. Security camera footage showed the airplane continuing over the runway and veering right of the centerline. The airplane then began a descending right turn, and the right wing impacted a lamppost in an airport parking lot. The outboard section of the wing separated, the airplane immediately rolled right, and it impacted parked vehicles and the ground. The airplane did not appear to be trailing smoke at any point, and video showed the landing gear was extended at impact.
Aircraft Information
The single-engine, retractable-gear airplane was manufactured in 1977, powered by a turbocharged, fuel-injected, Continental TSIO-360-KBcFB engine equipped with a two-blade constant-speed Hartzell propeller. It had four seats and two wing-mounted fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 36 gallons. The airplane was registered to a corporation of which the pilot was the sole member. The most recent annual inspection was performed on June 9, 2016, with the airframe then at 4,531.5 total flight hours and the engine at 1,244.21 hours since overhaul in June 2004. The most recent pitot-static, altimeter, and transponder certification was performed on March 31, 2015. The airplane had been retrofitted with a Turboplus engine intercooler system; the flight manual supplement stated, "PERFORMANCE: with the above engine and intercooler combination installed are equal to or better than the data in the FAA Flight Manual."
Meteorological Information
After providing initial takeoff clearance, the tower controller issued an advisory: wind from 260° at 12 knots gusting to 29 knots. A special METAR for RNO issued 25 minutes after the accident included wind from 270° at 14 knots gusting to 23 knots; 10 miles visibility; few clouds at 11,000 ft; temperature 28°C; dew point -1°C; altimeter 29.98 inches of mercury. Calculated density altitude was about 6,900 ft. Computed sunset in San Carlos, California, occurred at 1922, with civil twilight ending at 1948.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest inverted in the parking lot on a heading about 070° magnetic, about 1/2 mile north of the departure end of runway 25. All major sections were recovered at the accident site. The left wing came to rest in the flatbed of a pickup truck; the right wing had detached and folded aft parallel with the tailcone. The airframe sustained crush damage through to the vertical stabilizer. A car parked just west of the main wreckage exhibited a slice in its left rear quarter panel matching the dimensions of a propeller blade tip. Fifteen vehicles were damaged.
First responders reported the rear seat passenger remained belted into the rear left seat. All four seats remained attached to the cabin floor with seat belts buckled. The front two belts and the rear left belt were cut by first responders to recover occupants. The rear seats were not equipped with shoulder harnesses.
Examination of the airframe and engine occurred at the accident site and a remote storage facility. The propeller, turbocharger, and engine components were examined at their respective manufacturing facilities under NTSB supervision. The instrument panel and cockpit flight controls sustained extensive fragmentation. The fuel selector was in the left tank detent. The gascolator was crushed, exposing the inner surface of the bowl; the bowl was free of corrosion or blockage, and the screen was free of debris.
Flight controls and associated components sustained impact and postaccident damage. The stabilator trim tab, trim screw, and control arm assembly remained attached; the trim jack screw in the aft cabin displayed 12 exposed threads on the top side (Piper documentation: 0 threads = full nose-down, 5 neutral, 16 full nose-up). Impact damage prevented accurate assessment of flap position.
Engine examination revealed impact damage crushing the forward inlet manifold and breaching the oil sump, exposing the camshaft. The propeller and hub assembly were detached at the crankshaft forward bearing. Fuel lines were damaged but intact at fittings. The turbocharger assembly was partially detached. Both magnetos produced spark in firing order at all output leads at speeds between 400 and 2,700 rpm. Cylinder No. 6 had crush damage displacing intake and exhaust rockers. The engine rotated smoothly via vacuum pump drive; valves from cylinders 1-5 exhibited similar lift heights. Drive train continuity was confirmed through accessories. Thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders except No. 6. Spark plugs showed varied deposits and worn-out-normal signatures per the Champion AV-27 Check-A-Plug chart. The oil filter was coated in brown oil and free of debris.
Turbocharger assembly was largely intact; impeller and turbine wheel had no damage; a radial rub mark on the turbine housing adjacent to the inlet was consistent with blade contact. The compressor and turbine wheel assembly rotated by hand; shaft and internal journals were intact and wet with oil. The pressure valve was intact and tested nominally.
Both propeller blades remained attached to the hub and flange, which separated from the crankshaft. The separation point exhibited a conical 45° shear lip with serrated tear features consistent with rotation at impact. Blade 'A' had leading edge gouging, chordwise scratches, an S-bend, and a separated 16-inch outboard section with jagged tear pattern. Blade 'B' was intact except for a separated 1-inch tip section, 15° aft bend 12 inches from root, and chordwise scoring. No significant hub damage. An imprint on the preload plate of blade 'B' corresponded to the bushing of the pitch change knob of blade 'A', indicating a blade 'A' pitch angle of 17.5°. Hartzell specifications call for low pitch 14.4°±0.2° and high pitch 29°±1°.
Additional Information
The FBO supervisor stated the pilot expressed concern about airplane weight and said he understood the arrested passenger weighed 180 lbs. The pilot paced and seemed anxious. A customer service representative said the pilot told her he was concerned the airplane might be overweight. The supervisor stated the passenger appeared heavier than 180 lbs. The Nevada-based bail bondsman who delivered the passenger stated that en route, the pilot called and requested the passenger's weight. She replied 180-200 lbs; the bondsman privately relayed it was closer to 250-260 lbs. The pilot said he would use 200 lbs and anticipate burning off 3 gallons of fuel during taxi, but if the passenger weighed 250-260 lbs, he would need to remove about 15 gallons of fuel.
The Nevada-based bail bondsman stated the California-based bail bondsman initially planned to transport the arrested passenger by car, but the pilot and bondsman decided to fly back to expedite return of the passenger to California law enforcement that night rather than Monday morning.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy on the pilot; cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. No significant natural disease was identified. The FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory performed toxicology testing. Acetaminophen, hydrocodone and its metabolite dihydrocodeine, ibuprofen, meprobamate, morphine, nordiazepam, oxazepam, temazepam, and oxymorphone were identified in urine. In cavity blood: diazepam 0.04 µg/ml, nordiazepam 0.111 µg/ml, hydrocodone 0.021 µg/ml, and meprobamate 2.243 µg/ml were confirmed. The metabolism pathways for hydrocodone, morphine, and oxymorphone do not overlap, consistent with use of three separate opioids.
Records from the pilot's primary care physician for 2013-2016 showed episodes of back pain, treatment with opioid medication and steroid injections. The pilot had asked for "stronger" medications and was referred to a pain specialist. His most recent visit was December 22, 2015, documenting ongoing use of oxycodone (30 mg/day) and carisoprodol (350 mg at bedtime). No later visits were documented. The pilot had reported hay fever, previous orthopedic surgeries, tonsillectomy, gall bladder removal, and gastric bypass surgery, but reported no medications on his most recent FAA medical certificate application.
Tests and Research
Audio recordings from RNO ground and tower control positions were analyzed. A spectrogram of the pilot's final two transmissions showed a faint tone increasing from about 2,150 Hz to 2,300 Hz after takeoff clearance, potentially matching the turbocharger shaft second harmonic (64,500 to 69,000 rpm). One hundred eight seconds later, a tone at about 2,500 Hz was recorded during a pause, potentially matching the turbocharger shaft second harmonic at 75,000 rpm.
The airplane was equipped with an Appareo Status PRX V2 GPS/WAAS and ADS-B receiver with internal AHRS, recording at about 5 Hz. The unit was recovered and data extracted. Data showed the airplane taxied onto runway 25, aligned on a true heading of 270°. The nose pitched up to 6° as ground roll began. Twenty-one seconds later, after about 1,700 ft, ground speed reached 53 knots, nose pitched up to 10°, and vertical speed and altitude increased. Over the next 26 seconds, pitch oscillations between 3° nose-down and 11° nose-up occurred, ground speed constant, vertical speed varied between +275 and +700 fpm, reaching about 150 ft agl. The nose then pitched to about 15° as a right turn began to heading 300°. A few seconds later, it reached its highest altitude of 209 ft agl. Over the next 20 seconds, slight descents and climbs occurred, then a right bank increased to 45° right wing down about 15 seconds later. The last recorded data, 1 minute 29 seconds after takeoff roll began, indicated heading 070°, ground speed 89 knots, 41° right bank, 64° nose-down attitude. Throughout the flight, the airplane experienced 3 to 9° roll oscillations.