ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 238654
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| Date: | Saturday 25 July 2020 |
| Time: | 13:38 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance |
| Owner/operator: | Living Evergreen LLC |
| Registration: | N7677C |
| MSN: | 32R-7680058 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1975 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 6 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | West Jordan, UT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | South Valley Regional Airport, UT (U42) |
| Page Airport, AZ (PGA/KPGA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On July 25, 2020, about 1338 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300R, N7677C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near South Valley Regional Airport (U42), West Jordan, Utah. The pilot, two passengers, and one person on the ground sustained fatal injuries; two passengers sustained serious injuries; and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot and five passengers departed on an instrument flight rules cross-country flight. A security camera located about midfield at the airport captured the airplane as it lifted off about 3,700 ft from the beginning of the 5,862-ft runway; the liftoff point was likely due to the effects of a 7- to 10-knot tailwind. The airplane then began a series of shallow climbs and descents that continued until the airplane was no longer visible on the camera video. About 1 minute 15 seconds after takeoff, the video captured the airplane again as it descended at a steep angle into a residential neighborhood about 1.5miles southeast of the airport. The airplane struck a tree and three structures before it came to rest on its left side in a backyard of a private residence. A postaccident fire ensued, which consumed most of the wings, the cabin area of the fuselage, and a residence. GPS data revealed that the airplane did not exceed an altitude of 120 ft above ground level.
Recorded engine data revealed consistent operation of the engine throughout the flight until about 15 seconds before the loss of data, when the exhaust gas temperatures and the fuel flow fluctuated likely because the pilot was adjusting the mixture lever. No mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were found that would have precluded normal operations.
The density altitude about the time of the accident exceeded 7,200 ft mean sea level, and the airplane was close to its maximum gross weight. The effects of high-density altitude conditions and a heavy airplane weight on takeoff performance include increased takeoff roll distance and reduced rate of climb. Review of performance charts indicated that the airplane should have been able to climb at a rate around 500 ft per minute; however, the video evidence indicated that, after takeoff, the airplane had difficulty establishing climb performance. It is likely that, after losing ground effect and while experiencing degraded climb performance due to the high-density altitude, the pilot responded by repeatedly pitching the nose down to gain airspeed and then pitching the nose up to climb. The engine data showed that the pilot apparently manipulated the mixture lever to gain power; however, soon afterward, the airplane’s critical angle of attack was likely exceeded, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, a loss of control, and an impact with structures and terrain.
A debris path of about 95 ft and minor damage to the spinner and front of the engine cowling suggested that the airplane’s descent was not consistent with a fully developed aerodynamic stall. However, multiple witness accounts were consistent with the onset of an aerodynamic stall, including one witness who reported that the airplane started to bank before it “fell from the sky.”
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain the airplane’s speed during takeoff near the airplane’s maximum gross weight in high-density altitude conditions, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and led to an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and subsequent impact with structures and terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/7/25/21338589/plane-crash-crews-responding-in-west-jordan-salt-lake-county-residential
https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/crews-responding-to-large-fire-in-west-jordan-witnesses-report-plane-crash
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/breaking-three-people-killed-including-22417241
https://www.ksl.com/article/50000529/3-people-killed-after-plane-crashes-into-home-in-west-jordan-neighborhood
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N7677C/history/20200725/1920Z/U42/KPGA
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N7677C
https://www.airport-data.com/images/aircraft/000/937/937610.jpg (photo)
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jul-2020 06:28 | gerard57 | Added |
| 26-Jul-2020 07:08 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2020 07:10 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2020 08:14 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Registration, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2020 11:39 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2020 11:42 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 26-Jul-2020 12:56 | Captain Adam | Updated [Embed code, Narrative] |
| 28-Jul-2020 08:35 | gerard57 | Updated [Other fatalities, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 29-Jul-2020 06:37 | Anon. | Updated [Source] |
| 29-Jul-2020 06:37 | harro | Updated [Source] |
| 27-Jun-2021 07:55 | aaronwk | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 08-Sep-2022 09:53 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, Photo] |
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