2017 Piper PA-46-310P Crash at Mahlon Sweet Field Airport (N123SB)

Accident Overview and Flight Details On April 7, 2017, a Piper PA-46-310P, N123SB, operated by Park City Aviation, LLC, crashed into terrain near Harrisburg, Oregon, while on an instrument approach to Mahlon Sweet Field Airport (EUG) in Eugene. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot and three passengers were killed. The flight originated from Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in California, taking off at 0721:37 Pacific daylight time. The aircraft leveled off at a cruise altitude of 14,200 feet GPS altitude before beginning its descent at 1019. During the approach, the pilot was in radar contact with the Cascade Approach/Eugene Tower control facility. At 1038:24, the controller instructed the pilot to descend to 4,000 feet mean sea level (msl) and expect the ILS RWY16L approach. The pilot subsequently reported being in heavy precipitation and requested vectors to the localizer and a descent to 2,000 feet msl. By 10:43:48, the aircraft was descending through 3,573 feet east of EUG. At 1045, the controller advised the pilot of heavy to extreme precipitation in the area. Between 1046:36 and 1047:04, the aircraft turned west at an altitude of about 1,870 feet, with groundspeed dropping from 144 knots to 75 knots. At 1047:41, the pitch angle began to increase as the pilot initiated a left turn at 1,923 feet. By 1047:49, the aircraft had a left bank angle of 42° and a pitch angle of 13.6° nose up. At 1047:56, the left bank angle reached 95° with a pitch attitude of 35° nose down. The aircraft descended through 1,125 feet with a nose-down pitch attitude of 30° and a left bank angle of about 70°. It then briefly rolled wings-level before entering a right roll. As the descent continued, the right bank increased to 173° and the pitch angle reached 66° nose-down. At 1048:12, groundspeed decreased to 0, consistent with ground impact. The controller advised the pilot to maintain 2,000 feet msl until intercepting the glideslope, to which the pilot acknowledged. Thirteen seconds later, the controller requested the pilot check his altitude and instructed him to climb and maintain 2,000 feet msl. The pilot did not respond, and no further communications were received from the aircraft.