History of Flight
On December 17, 2017, about 1830 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, registration N6433J, struck terrain near Reeds Spring, Missouri. The aircraft was destroyed, and both occupants were fatally injured. The flight was operated by a private individual under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country trip. It departed Gardner Municipal Airport (K34) in Gardner, Kansas, around 1700, with an intended destination of M. Graham Clark Downtown Airport (PLK) in Branson, Missouri. Night instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were present near the accident site at the time of the event. No flight plan was filed, and the pilot was not in communication with air traffic control.
Radar data revealed a track corresponding to the accident airplane. The aircraft approached the Branson area from the north/northwest, executing several turns and circular patterns before the radar target vanished near the accident location. The flight reached a maximum altitude of 2,750 ft mean sea level (msl) but averaged around 2,500 ft msl. The final radar returns showed altitudes of 2,250 ft msl, 2,125 ft msl, 2,200 ft msl, and finally 2,050 ft msl just east of the crash site. Terrain elevation in the area was approximately 1,300 to 1,400 ft msl.
Multiple witnesses reported hearing the airplane overhead or circling, after which the engine noise ceased, followed by the sound of impact. First responders arrived at the scene. Both witnesses and responders noted foggy conditions and poor visibility at the time.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records did not indicate that the pilot held an instrument rating. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on February 17, 2017, with the limitation that he must possess glasses for near/intermediate vision. At that examination, the pilot reported zero total flight hours and zero hours in the preceding six months. Although his logbook was unavailable, family members estimated he had accumulated about 100 total flight hours.
The passenger held a student pilot certificate. Her third-class medical certificate was issued on March 16, 2017, with a limitation for corrective lenses.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane was a Piper PA-28-180, a low-wing, all-metal, single-engine aircraft with fixed landing gear, powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming four-cylinder engine and a fixed-pitch propeller. Maintenance records indicated that the last annual inspection was completed on June 5, 2017, at a tachometer reading of 4,550.9 hours and 231.8 hours since engine overhaul. A prior annual inspection on September 22, 2012, recorded a tachometer time of 4,538.42 hours and 219.37 hours since overhaul. The pilot purchased the aircraft on June 10, 2017, according to FAA records.
Meteorological Information
At 1835, the Branson West Municipal Airport – Emerson Field (FWB) automated weather observation station, located about 1.5 miles south of the accident site, reported calm wind, 1/2-mile visibility, a 400-ft overcast ceiling, temperature 46°F, dew point 46°F, and an altimeter setting of 30.08 inches of mercury. At 1845, the Branson Airport (BBG) station, about 14.7 miles southeast, reported calm wind, 1 3/4-mile visibility with mist, a 200-ft overcast ceiling, temperature 45°F, dew point 45°F, and the same altimeter setting.
Near the time of departure (1655), the FWB station recorded calm wind, 1/2-mile visibility and fog, and a 400-ft overcast ceiling. At 1645, BBG reported calm wind, 3/4-mile visibility in mist, and a 200-ft overcast ceiling. Earlier observations were similar. The terminal aerodrome forecast (TAF) for BBG, issued before 1700, called for light instrument flight rules (LIFR) conditions with variable wind at 5 knots, 3 miles visibility in mist, and an overcast ceiling at 400 ft above ground level. Subsequent amendments indicated visibility deteriorating to 3/4 mile and an overcast ceiling at 300 ft. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in an open field in a rural neighborhood, about 1.5 miles north of FWB and 11 miles northwest of PLK. Examination of the ground scars indicated the airplane struck the terrain in a near-vertical, nose-down attitude. The wreckage came to rest near the initial impact point, with the engine and nose buried in a small crater. Several fragments were scattered, but all major components were accounted for. There was no postcrash fire.
Both wings exhibited accordion-type crush damage along their entire span. The main cabin was severely crushed, and the empennage showed heavy impact damage. Both wing fuel tanks were breached. The wing flap position could not be determined due to damage, but the flap cable remained attached to the selector handle. Avionics, instruments, gauges, and cockpit controls were impact-damaged and unreadable. The attitude indicator's gyro displayed scoring from contact with its housing, consistent with operation at impact.
Left and right aileron control cables were continuous from the aileron bell crank to the chain segment in the cockpit; the chain had separated from the yoke control bar due to overload. Rudder, stabilator, and pitch trim control cables were continuous to recovery cuts. The pitch trim jackscrew was extended about 4 to 5 threads above the cable drum, indicating a neutral trim tab position.
The engine sustained impact damage, with the crankshaft broken just aft of the number 1 main bearing journal, which had separated. The damage prevented manual rotation; a visual inspection of the valve train and accessory section was conducted. The carburetor was broken from its intake flange; the float bowl and fuel inlet screen were free of contaminants, with no pre-impact abnormalities noted. The carburetor floats showed crushing consistent with hydraulic deformation. The oil screen was clear. Both magnetos were impact-fragmented. The vacuum pump was disassembled; its internal vanes and rotor were broken, consistent with impact forces. The top spark plugs displayed light-colored combustion deposits and normal electrode wear. The two-bladed fixed-pitch propeller remained attached; both blades had leading edge gouging and polishing. No pre-impact abnormalities were identified during the airframe or engine examinations, although the examination was limited due to damage.
Medical and Pathological Information
The Stone County Medical Examiner's Office conducted autopsies on both occupants and determined the cause of death to be blunt injuries. The FAA's Forensic Sciences laboratory performed toxicological testing on both individuals. The pilot's specimens tested positive for ethanol in the liver and negative for tested drugs. The passenger tested positive for ethanol in muscle but negative in the brain. Both were negative for tested drugs. The ethanol findings and distribution pattern were consistent with post-mortem production.