History of Flight
On December 10, 2021, at about 1809 mountain standard time, a Piper PA46-500TP, registration N744Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The pilot and sole occupant was fatally injured. The aircraft was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
According to archived Federal Aviation Administration automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast data, the aircraft departed Cody, Wyoming, at about 1705 and was en route to Steamboat Springs/Bob Adams Field. The pilot was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan and at 1757 was cleared by an air traffic controller to conduct the RNAV (GPS)-E instrument approach procedure at Steamboat Springs.
For terrain clearance, the procedure required the aircraft to cross the final approach fix PEXSA at or above 9,700 ft mean sea level and WAKOR, the next waypoint located 2.2 nm from the runway 32 threshold, at or above 8,740 ft msl. The ADS-B data showed that the accident aircraft crossed PEXSA at about 9,100 ft msl and WAKOR at about 8,200 ft msl.
The procedure allowed a descent to the minimum descent altitude of 8,140 ft msl (1,258 ft above ground level) after passing WAKOR. The missed approach point was the runway 32 approach end, requiring a climbing left turn to 11,300 ft msl and proceeding direct to the HABRO waypoint. Immediately after passing WAKOR, the aircraft made a left turn and descended to about 7,850 ft msl. It subsequently began to climb, and the last ADS-B data point at 1808:49 indicated an altitude of about 8,125 ft msl, located about 3.5 miles north of the accident site.
Meteorological Information
A search of the FAA contract automated flight service station Leidos indicated no contact with the pilot, nor did any third-party vendors using the Leidos Flight Service system on December 10 or 11, 2021. A search of ForeFlight revealed that the pilot had an account and filed an IFR flight plan through their system for the flight from Cody to Steamboat Springs. Before the flight, the pilot did not view any weather imagery but entered the flight route into the system, which generated a general route briefing. That briefing provided the current METAR for Steamboat Springs, indicating a broken cloud ceiling of 4,500 ft and 7 sm visibility.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The aircraft first impacted Emerald Mountain at about 8,172 ft msl on a heading of about 164°, as evidenced by broken and cut tree branches. After the initial impact, the aircraft bounced and came to rest at about 8,216 ft msl, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage, tail, and both wings.
A postaccident examination of the airframe, engine, and propeller revealed no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The positions of the landing gear and flap actuator were consistent with both being in transit at the time of impact.
Additional Information
Data recovered from the Garmin GPS showed that the airspeed varied between 89 and 110 knots during the instrument approach. According to 14 CFR 97.3, approach category is determined by either the reference landing speed (VREF) or, if VREF is not specified, 1.3 times the stalling speed in landing configuration (VSO) at maximum certificated landing weight. The Piper PA46-500TP Pilot’s Operating Handbook did not specify a VREF but stated VSO at maximum certificated landing weight was 69 knots, yielding a value of 89.7 knots when multiplied by 1.3. Under 14 CFR 97.3, a speed less than 91 knots places the aircraft in Category A, while a speed between 91 and 121 knots places it in Category B. The instrument approach procedure for Category A required 1¼ sm flight visibility for landing, and Category B required 1½ sm. It could not be determined whether the pilot decided his approach category based on 1.3 VSO or the actual approach speed flown.