Summary
On April 16, 2024, about 1205 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P airplane, registration N451MA, was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Hartsburg, Missouri. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
History of Flight
The pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan from Dane County Regional Airport (MSN), Madison, Wisconsin, to Smith Field Airport (SLG), Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Departure from MSN occurred about 0951, and the pilot was in contact with air traffic control (ATC) throughout the flight. Flight track data showed that after departure, the airplane turned southwest and climbed to about 16,000 feet mean sea level (msl), maintaining a direct course to SLG. At 1149, ATC instructed the pilot to turn left to a 170° heading to avoid an active military operations area (MOA). Subsequent instructions led to headings of 180° and then 190°. ATC advised that deviation requests must be to the left. Around 1158, ATC alerted the pilot to precipitation at his one o'clock; the pilot indicated he would request a deviation if needed. At 1203:28, the pilot reported encountering freezing rain and requested a left deviation, which was approved. At 1204:05, the airplane entered a descending left turn. The last recorded data showed the airplane heading north at about 9,400 ft msl. The fuselage came to rest about 0.14 nautical miles north of the final in-flight position.
Performance analysis using ADS-B and radar data indicated that shortly after 1204:05, the airplane's descending left turn steepened to a 70° roll angle, with pitch dropping to -17° and then to -34° as airspeed exceeded VNE and descent rate reached about 17,000 ft/min. A sudden reversal in airspeed and slowing of descent at 1204:46, at 240 knots calibrated airspeed (40 knots above VNE), was consistent with the airplane beginning to break up in flight.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The airplane was a single-engine, low-wing, pressurized monoplane of predominantly aluminum construction. It was powered by a turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A engine rated at 350 horsepower, with retractable landing gear and seating for up to six occupants. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the never-exceed speed (VNE) was 198 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) or 200 knots calibrated airspeed (KCAS). Maneuvering speed (VO) varied with weight, ranging from 116 KCAS at 3,200 lbs to 135 KCAS at 4,340 lbs.
The pilot's electronic logbook showed 1,458.36 total flight hours, including 78.2 hours in the accident airplane, 201.6 hours of actual instrument experience, and 42.1 hours of simulated instrument time. In the 90 days before the accident, he flew 74.95 hours, all in the accident airplane, with 16.9 hours in actual instrument conditions.
Meteorological Conditions
A convective Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET) advisory was in effect for the area at the time of the accident, warning of severe embedded thunderstorm activity with tornados, hail up to 2 inches in diameter, and wind gusts to 60 knots. Weather data indicated the airplane flew into conditions consistent with developing convective activity, which can include wind shear, turbulence, icing, instrument meteorological conditions, and hail.
Wreckage and Impact
The main wreckage, consisting of the fuselage, came to rest upright on a wooded hillside next to a pasture. Tree limb breaks were few and consistent with a near-vertical impact. The engine was pushed rearward, and the forward fuselage exhibited accordion crushing. Inboard 4 ft of each wing remained attached. The fuselage aft of the front seats to the rear baggage compartment was fragmented. The aft fuselage from the tail cone forward about 8 ft was mostly intact, but no tail surfaces were present at the main site. The tail surfaces and outboard wings separated and were found along a line extending from the fuselage on an 18° heading for about 3.1 nm. The farthest piece was the vertical stabilizer. Horizontal tail pieces except for portions of the spar were not located.
Examination Findings
Postaccident examination showed that both outboard wing sections separated near wing station 75 at the outboard ends of the main landing gear wheel wells. The horizontal stabilizer, vertical stabilizer, flaps, ailerons, elevator, and rudder separated during the event. The right aileron, right flap, and left flap were recovered; the left aileron was not. All fracture surfaces had a dull, grainy appearance consistent with overstress separation; no pre-existing cracking or corrosion was noted. The right wing's leading edge was bent downward and inboard almost 180°. About 6 ft of the center elevator was recovered with the trim tab attached, deformed downward on the left and upward on the right. The horizontal stabilizer aft spar sections were consistent with downward separation. The control system showed no pre-existing anomalies. The Garmin G1000 avionics units sustained impact damage and contained no data; memory cards were found but did not contain flight track data.
Medical Information
An autopsy determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head, neck, chest, and extremities, cardiac laceration, and basilar skull fracture. Toxicological testing detected lisinopril, a high blood pressure medication, in the pilot's blood and urine.