N2412DPiper PA-38-112 · 1978

On June 16, 2016, at 1106 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2412D, collided with power lines and terrain shortly after takeoff from Madison Municipal Airport (IMS), Madison, Indiana. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The airplane was privately owned and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was originating at the time of the accident.

An employee at the fixed base operator (FBO) reported that, before the airplane departed, she assisted the pilot with operating the self-serve fuel pump. She stated that she helped him swipe his credit card and remove the hose from the pump. She then went inside while he continued to fuel the airplane. She stated that she watched through the window as he took off and that the airplane appeared stable, but it was low as it passed by her field of vision. Shortly thereafter, FBO building momentarily lost power.

An individual who lived across from the accident site stated that he had just walked into his home and noted that the time was 1106. He then heard a loud impact and the lights flickered. He went outside to see what had happened and saw flames in the neighboring field. He ran toward the accident site to render assistance and the airplane's right wing was "sticking straight up," and the flames were about treetop height.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land that was issued in 1969. He also held an airframe and powerplant mechanic certificate. The pilot was issued a third-class Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate on July 22, 2015, with the limitation "not valid for any class after July 31, 2016." On the application for this medical certificate, the pilot reported a total flight time of 216 hours, with 0 hours in the previous 6 months. Pilot logbooks were not located during the investigation.

The pilot flew with a flight instructor on November 14, 2015, for the purpose of receiving a flight review. The instructor reported that the pilot was "very rusty" and he had difficulty with "pitch control, airspeed control, flaring on landing & maintaining directional control." The pilot did not pass the flight review. The instructor reported that he told the pilot that he needed additional dual instruction to pass the flight review. The instructor flew with the pilot again on March 14, 2016, and again would not endorse the pilot for a flight review because he felt the pilot needed additional instruction. A few weeks later, the pilot approached the CFI and he was upset that the instructor would not sign off on his flight review. He told the instructor he was going to fly anyway. A few days later, the pilot saw the instructor again and admitted that the instructor was right.

The aircraft and engine logbooks were not located during the investigation. According to the mechanic who last worked on the airplane, the most recent annual inspection was performed on February 6, 2016. The airplane had a total time of 4,920.2 hours at that time. The engine had a total time since major overhaul of 962.9 hours.

The airplane was fueled with 12.27 gallons of 100LL fuel just before the accident flight. The total amount of fuel onboard at takeoff was unknown.

The aircraft and engine logbooks were not located during the investigation. According to the mechanic who last worked on the airplane, the most recent annual inspection was performed on February 6, 2016. The airplane had a total time of 4,920.2 hours at that time. The engine had a total time since major overhaul of 962.9 hours.

The airplane was fueled with 12.27 gallons of 100LL fuel just before the accident flight. The total amount of fuel onboard at takeoff was unknown.

The accident site was located ½ mile south of the departure end of runway 21. The airplane came to rest in a field under two sets of power transmission lines that were about 55 ft apart. A transmission wire on the second set of lines was damaged, with only a few strands of wire holding it together. The support structures (towers) were about 80 ft tall; the wreckage was about 72 ft southwest of the closest tower. The top wooden structure on one of the H-tower supports was broken, and pieces of wood were scattered on the ground near the wreckage site.

The airplane was damaged by impact forces and a postimpact fire. The cockpit/cabin area was destroyed by the fire. The empennage sustained impact and thermal damage. The empennage was separated from the fuselage due to the fire, remaining attached only by the elevator and rudder control cables. The left elevator and horizontal stabilizer sustained impact damage, but were intact and remained attached to the empennage. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached to the empennage. The outboard end of both surfaces was destroyed by the fire and impact forces.

The inboard section of the left wing was partially consumed by the fire, with a small inboard section of the flap still attached to the wing. The fuel cap remained in place. The outboard 3 ft of the wing and aileron, including the wingtip and aileron counterweight, were present.

The right wing was separated at the wing root and was inverted and lying on top of the cockpit/engine. The right aileron remained attached to the wing. The inboard fuel tank section of the wing sustained impact and fire damage; the fuel tank was breached and the fuel cap was secured. A portion of the flap remained attached to the wing and the inboard section of the flap was destroyed by fire. The wingtip was located about 30 ft from the main wreckage. The wingtip exhibited scrape marks that matched the color of the wooden H-tower structures.

Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit flight controls to the control surfaces.

The flap handle/rod assembly was separated from its mount. The pushrod assembly remained attached to the flap torque tube. The pin was in the middle detent position of the flap bracket, which correlated to 21° flap extension. This setting could not be verified by the position of the flaps.

The position of the fuel selector could not be determined due to thermal damage, which melted the inside of the fuel valve.

The engine was subjected to thermal damage but was intact with impact damage to the bottom exhaust stack.

The carburetor was secure on its mount. The inlet fuel line and carburetor airbox were destroyed by fire. The engine-driven fuel pump was secure on its mount; however, much of the pump was destroyed by fire. No fuel was present in either the carburetor or fuel pump.

The accessory section of the engine sustained impact and thermal damage. The magnetos were thermally damaged and could not be tested. The vacuum pump sustained fire damage and the coupling was melted.

All the rocker arms, valve springs, and connecting rods were in place. An attempt to rotate the engine by hand failed, so the accessory housing was removed. The engine was then free to rotate. Valve train continuity was established. Thumb suction and compression was verified on all cylinders.

The engine was equipped with Champion REM37BY spark plugs, which appeared to have normal wear signatures. The No. 2 cylinder bottom plug was oil-soaked.

The airplane was equipped with a Sensenich propeller, Model 72CK-0-56, serial number K8884. One of the propeller blades was straight with a ½-inch gouge in the leading edge located about 12 inches from the blade tip. The other blade was bent rearward about 50° starting at a point about 10 inches from the hub. The outboard 8 inches of the blade tip were bent forward. There was a gouge in the leading edge of the blade tip with a portion of the tip missing. The inside of the propeller hub sustained torsional impact damage.

An autopsy of the pilot was conducted at Kings Daughters Health, Madison, Indiana. The cause of death was attributed to multiple traumatic injuries sustained in the accident.

The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed forensic toxicology on specimens from the pilot. The results were negative for carbon monoxide, ethanol, and tested-for drugs.