Fatal Piper PA60-602P Accident at Fortingall, Scotland (N64719)

Aircraft and Operator Details The aircraft involved was a Piper PA60-602P, registration N64719, manufactured in 1982 and converted to a Model 700 Superstar in 1990. It was powered by two Lycoming IO-540 350 HP piston engines. The aircraft was retained on the US Register while in private ownership in Austria. In autumn 2000, it was sold to an American aircraft dealer and arranged to be ferried to New York via Newcastle, Keflavik, Narsarsuak, and Goose Bay. The flight was a private ferry operation with one crew member on board and no passengers. The aircraft was destroyed in the accident, resulting in one fatal injury to the crew member. The commander held an FAA Private Pilot Certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings, plus an Austrian Validation certificate. He was 70 years old with a total of 1,860 hours in his logbook. The last 90 days recorded more than 38 hours of flight time, while the last 28 days were unknown. The accident occurred on 30 November 2000 at 1635 hrs UTC at Fortingall, Perthshire, Scotland. The aircraft was maintained under FAR Part 91, with an annual inspection last performed on 20 April 2000. Nine discrepancies were noted during the inspection, including a suspect engine starter vibrator, a leaking landing gear hydraulic actuator, a time-expired ELT battery, loose rivets, an overdue airworthiness directive concerning the combustion heater, and an overdue hydrostatic test on the oxygen bottle. The aircraft had flown 2,652.5 hours since the 700 Superstar conversion in 1990, with less than 150 hours since 1996. Both engines had been overhauled between 1994 and 1995, with the left engine running for 328.4 hours and the right engine for 463.4 hours between the overhauls and the annual inspection. The pilot was an Austrian national who learned to fly in his fifties and had completed several transatlantic ferry flights. His most recent biennial flight review was conducted in a Piper Seneca on 8 November 1999. He had no record of previous flights in an Aerostar or Superstar. The pilot's planned itinerary for the day was to fly from Voslau to Linz and then to Keflavik via a refuelling stop at Newcastle. The flight plans presumed a total airborne time of about nine hours. The pilot left his friend's home near Vienna at about 0630 hrs UTC to fly the Superstar from Voslau to Linz on a VFR flight plan. He arrived at Linz despite problematic weather and telephoned his friend to confirm safe arrival. The aircraft was refuelled before departing at 10:33 hrs on a 790 nm IFR flight plan to Newcastle. The cruising speed was given as 220 KIAS at FL 160, with an estimated flight time of four hours. The aircraft landed at Newcastle at 14:30 hrs and was directed to the general aviation apron. The pilot refuelled the aircraft with 584 litres of 100LL AVGAS, filling all tanks to capacity. He visited the handling agent's offices to obtain weather information, NOTAMs, and a copy of his flight plan. He purchased two US quarts of engine oil and transferred it to the aircraft's left engine. The pilot appeared tired to the staff, but he replied that he was okay when asked. The aircraft departed the apron area with the engines sounding normal. The start-up, taxi, and take-off were apparently normal, with an IFR clearance for a noise abatement right turn-out on track towards the Talla VOR beacon. The pilot was cleared to join controlled airspace on track towards Talla at FL 140 and to expect the flight-planned level of FL 200 when cleared by Scottish Radar. As the aircraft was climbing through FL 120, the Talla sector controller cleared the pilot to climb to FL 140 and then almost immediately re-cleared him to climb to FL 200. The pilot replied, 'ER NEGATIVE I WOULD LIKE TO MAINTAIN ONE FOUR ZERO FOR THE TIME BEING,' and the controller granted his request. At 16:21 hrs, the pilot transmitted, 'SCOTTISH NOVEMBER SIX FOUR SEVEN ONE NINE ER REQUESTING HIGHER TO GET OUT OF SOME ICING.' The controller initially offered FL 160.