ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 209043
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| Date: | Monday 9 April 2018 |
| Time: | 20:48 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-24-260 Comanche |
| Owner/operator: | N9456P LLC |
| Registration: | N9456P |
| MSN: | 24-4964 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1970 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6158 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming TI0-540-N1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Scottsdale Airport (SDL/KSDL), AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Phoenix-Scottsdale Municipal Airport, AZ (SCF/KSDL) |
| Las Vegas-North Air Terminal, NV (VGT/KVGT) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airline transport pilot, student pilot, and four passengers departed on a cross-country fight with the airline transport pilot occupying the front right seat, the student pilot occupying the front left seat, and the four passengers occupying the two middle row and two aft row seats. Even though the student pilot was seated in the left seat, the investigation could not determine who was manipulating the flight controls when the accident occurred.
Witnesses and airport surveillance camera video indicated that the airplane's wings were rocking during the departure and shortly after rotation. The controller asked if the airplane was experiencing any difficulties; according to the controller, the pilot responded, "we're good. We're just in training mode." One witness reported that the engine sounded as if it was not developing enough power. The last recorded radar data point indicated that the airplane's altitude was about 200 ft above ground level. A traffic camera, located about 0.5-mile northwest of the end of the runway, showed the airplane in a left bank turning left. As the turn progressed, the bank angle increased, and the airplane started to descend. The airplane's wings were nearly vertical before the airplane impacted terrain. A postcrash fire ensued.
Evidence indicated that, at the time of departure, the airplane was 135 pounds over its maximum gross weight and was loaded 2.22 inches beyond its aft center of gravity (CG) limit. The CG is an important factor in flight performance. If the CG is too far aft, the airplane could rotate prematurely on takeoff, and longitudinal stability could be reduced. It is likely that during the initial climb, the pilot was unable to maintain airspeed which resulted in a loss of control.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 3 cylinder intake outer valve spring was broken. The fracture surfaces had signatures consistent with fatigue growth before failure. The surface damage observed on the springs indicated that the failure had likely occurred at some point before the accident and had gone undetected. It is likely that the failure reduced the available engine power that, although not detectable during previous flights, was more critical with the overloaded condition of the accident flight. No other preimpact anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation of the engine and airframe.
The inactive cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine was found in the student pilot's blood specimens at fairly low or nondetectable concentrations and without any detection of cocaine, which indicated past and not immediate cocaine use. Although the timing of the student pilot's cocaine use could not be determined, cocaine has a very short half-life, so, unless the student pilot was a chronic user, this drug would have a negligible effect after 6 hours. Similarly, the detection of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) in the student pilot's urine but not blood specimens indicated past and not immediate use of this drug. Thus, the student pilot's cocaine and ecstasy use were not a factor in this accident.
Probable Cause: The flight instructor's failure to maintain airplane control during the initial climb as a result of the airplane being loaded above its maximum gross weight and beyond its aft center of gravity limits. Contributing to the accident was a degraded engine power output due to a preexisting engine cylinder intake valve spring failure, which further reduced the airplane's climb capability.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N9456P
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/NNum_results.aspx?NNumbertxt=9456P
Location
Images:
Photo(c:) NTSB
Media:
6 killed in Piper PA-24-260 Comanche plane crash at famed golf course in Arizona, USA.https://t.co/UqBmJPgdKY via @GMA pic.twitter.com/tRkRaqDSBN
— Planes Of Legend (@PlanesOfLegend) 10 avril 2018
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Apr-2018 04:56 | Geno | Added |
| 10-Apr-2018 05:53 | Ryan | Updated [Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 10-Apr-2018 07:34 | gerard57 | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Apr-2018 12:39 | Anon. | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source] |
| 10-Apr-2018 13:51 | gerard57 | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Apr-2018 13:53 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Apr-2018 19:30 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Source, Embed code] |
| 10-Apr-2018 21:52 | Aerossurance | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code] |
| 14-Apr-2018 06:51 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 05-May-2018 20:51 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code] |
| 06-May-2018 07:06 | tmdryden | Updated [Source] |
| 22-May-2020 09:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 22-Jul-2020 07:21 | aaronwk | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 06-Mar-2022 02:17 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Category, Photo] |
| 06-Mar-2022 02:18 | Captain Adam | Updated [Departure airport] |
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