History of Flight
On September 17, 2016, about 1918 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182P airplane, registration N20844, was destroyed when it impacted a residential structure following an inflight fire near Gilbert, Arizona. The airplane was operated by P & T Aerial Services LLC under 14 CFR Part 91 for a local skydiving flight that departed Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD) at about 1904. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was participating in Gilbert's Annual Constitution Fair, a private event involving a night aerial pyrotechnic display and four skydivers parachuting into a predetermined drop zone.
According to the pilot and the lead jumper, as the airplane reached the planned jump area at 5,000 ft msl, they received the go-ahead to jump. A jumper activated sparklers in a pyrotechnic box on the left side of the airplane. Shortly thereafter, a loud boom was heard off the left side, described as an explosion. Both the pilot and lead jumper observed damage to the underside of the left wing, with fuel pouring out. The lead jumper noted jagged metal protruding from a hole about 2 ft from the pilot's left window. As leaking fuel ignited and the left wing became engulfed in flames, the skydivers exited through the right-side door. The pilot shut off fuel to the left tank and attempted a slip maneuver to extinguish the fire. He initially considered landing at CHD but realized he would not reach the airport due to worsening fire and heat. After radioing a distress call, the pilot egressed and parachuted out as the airplane became unflyable. The airplane subsequently struck a house about 4 miles north of CHD.
On the night of the accident, the lead jumper (also a co-owner) told an NTSB investigator that he thought a problem with the pyrotechnic box might have caused the wing puncture and fire. The pilot told a law enforcement officer that he believed a malfunction or premature deployment of the pyrotechnics caused the fire and that there were no mechanical issues before the explosion.
Radar data showed the airplane departing CHD, performing a climbing right turn toward Gilbert, and flying two clockwise patterns near the Gilbert Civic Center. At 1916:44, a peak altitude of 5,725 ft msl was reached at 96 knots groundspeed. At 1917:27, altitude began to decrease, and the pilot advised air traffic control of an emergency with fire on the wings. The controller asked if he wanted to go to Chandler, but the pilot did not respond. The last radar data at 1917:55 showed 3,350 ft msl and 105 knots.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine land, single-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a second-class medical certificate on October 9, 2015, without limitations or waivers. He reported about 875 total flight hours, with about 200 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Aircraft Information
The high-wing, all-metal airplane was manufactured in 1972. The last annual inspection was on November 23, 2015, at a total airframe time of 3,458.0 hours. The airplane was modified for skydiving operations by the current owners using two FAA Form 337s dated September 19, 2012, and an amendment Form 337 dated January 11, 2014. The amendment referenced an FAA Form 8110-3 and was approved on November 5, 2014. However, no supporting documentation for a Supplemental Type Certificate, field approval, or logbook entry was found for the installation of a pyrotechnic box on the factory-equipped left step located on the left main landing gear spring assembly.
According to the co-owner and the accident pilot, the pyrotechnic box was attached to the left main landing gear step just before the accident flight. The pilot stated that the co-owner told him the box was approved and properly tested. When asked, the co-owner said it was a sparkler box considered a minor alteration and did not need field approval because it could be easily removed. The pilot checked the box's security during preflight but did not verify its approval in the paperwork based on the co-owner's statements. The co-owner stated that three bolts and nuts secured the box and that the FAA was not aware of the installation.
Meteorological Information
Data from the CHD automated weather observation station, about 4 miles south of the accident site, at 1918 indicated winds variable at 5 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear sky, temperature 35°C, dew point -1°C, and an altimeter setting of 29.86 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane penetrated the roof of a single-story house at an elevation of about 1,247 ft msl. A postimpact fire consumed most of the airplane and the house interior. The airplane impacted at a steep nose-down attitude. Most wreckage was within the site, scattered in the back half of the house and backyard. Both wings were in the backyard, sustaining thermal damage and leading-edge compression. The engine and parts of the propeller dome were at the ground impact point. Flight control continuity could not be established due to thermal damage. The instrument panel and cabin were mostly consumed. The wreckage was recovered for further examination.
Examination of the left wing interior structure, where the fuel tank was located, showed no outward buckling. Portions of upper and lower left wing skins and the left main fuel tank were destroyed by thermal damage. Examination of the left main landing gear leg revealed holes with wires running from the pyrotechnic box along the gear leg, under the gear leg fairing, through a hole in the landing gear bulkhead, and into the cabin.
Additional Information
14 CFR Part 105.21 requires a certificate of authorization for parachute operations over congested areas or open-air assemblies. An FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA) was approved for the accident flight between 19:00 and 20:00 for the Arizona Skyhawk Parachute Demonstration Team. The planned operation was one pass with four jumpers at 4,000 ft msl, or as authorized by ATC. However, no special provision in the COA authorized the use of pyrotechnics. The authorization required the owner to contact Lockheed Martin Prescott Flight Service Station (FSS) to request a NOTAM, but no NOTAM was found for the accident flight and jump.
The pilot stated he was unaware that the use of pyrotechnics was not authorized and had not read the COA. The co-owner and lead jumper also stated that the four jumpers had small pyrotechnic devices attached to their ankles.
According to 14 CFR Part 1.1, the pilot-in-command has final authority and responsibility for the safety of the flight and compliance with regulations. An FAA letter referenced in the source discusses factors for determining PIC responsibility.
Medical and Pathological Information
Toxicological testing on the pilot by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for ethanol and most drugs. Positive results for morphine and ondansetron were consistent with medications administered during postaccident treatment.
Tests and Research
Several pieces of aluminum sheet metal, a mounting bracket, and remnants of a pyrotechnic device were found near the drop zone. Examination by the NTSB Materials Laboratory determined the aluminum pieces were consistent with the pyrotechnic box, constructed of folded and riveted sheet metal to contain two pyrotechnic devices and attached to the step on the left main landing gear leg. Two recovered aluminum pieces had circular holes consistent with mounting the box to the step. The box top had a piano hinge. Three pieces had screw holes for the hinge. The aluminum pieces showed fragmentation, fractures, outward deformation, petaling, curling, and cratering from high-velocity particle impact, consistent with an explosion originating inside the pyrotechnics box. The pieces were consistent with shrapnel.