Friday, July 14, 2017

Loss of Control in Flight: Piper PA-44-180 Seminole, N2173S; fatal accident occurred July 13, 2017 in Marineland, Florida

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Orlando, Florida

Piper Aircraft Inc; Vero Beach, Florida
Lycoming Engines; Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Hartzell Propeller; Piqua, Ohio

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf



Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms

http://registry.faa.gov/N2173S 

Location: Marineland, FL
Accident Number: WPR17FA151
Date & Time: 07/13/2017, 2258 EDT
Registration: N2173S
Aircraft: PIPER PA 44-180
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Defining Event: Loss of control in flight
Injuries: 2 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional

On July 13, 2017, about 2258 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180, N2173S, was destroyed during an inflight breakup near Marineland, Florida. The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Sunrise Aviation, Inc., Ormond Beach, Florida, as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight, which originated from Brunswick, Georgia, at an undetermined time with an intended destination of Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (OMN), Ormond Beach, Florida.

A representative from the operator reported that the accident flight was a roundtrip night cross-country instructional flight from OMN to Brunswick. Following one landing at Brunswick, the flight was to return to OMN as part of the pilot's initial commercial multi-engine rating training course. According to the company's flight training syllabus, the flight should have consisted of dead reckoning, pilotage, performance planning, GPS or VOR navigation, cross-country planning, normal takeoff and landings, intercepting and tracking navigational systems, and instrument procedures.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) audio communications and ground tracking radar information, which also included Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data were reviewed. The airplane was on a southerly course along the coastline at altitudes between 5,500 ft and 5,700 ft mean sea level (msl). At 2250, the flight contacted ATC and advised that they were at 5,500 ft, which the controller acknowledged. At 2257:36, the data showed the airplane began to descend. The pilot radioed the controller 26 seconds later and stated that they were starting down and had the OMN lights in sight. At 2258:27, the airplane climbed from 5,200 ft to 5,600 ft msl over the course of 4 seconds. The airplane remained at 5,600 ft msl for about 3 seconds then initiated a descending right turn, which continued for about 11 seconds. At 2258:45, the airplane had descended to 3,000 ft msl. The last ADS-B data point, recorded at 2258:46, showed the flight at 3,600 ft msl, about 0.3 mile northwest of the main wreckage. See Figure 1.

Between 2259:29 and 2259:48, the controller unsuccessfully attempted to establish radio communication with the accident airplane. The FAA issued an alert notice (ALNOT) shortly thereafter. The main wreckage was located by law enforcement air units about 1141 the following day.

Figure 1: Radar data showing final airplane flightpath

Flight Instructor Information

Certificate: Airline Transport; Flight Instructor; Commercial
Age: 70, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine Land; Single-engine Sea
Seat Occupied: Right
Other Aircraft Rating(s): Glider
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): Airplane Multi-engine; Airplane Single-engine; Instrument Airplane
Toxicology Performed: Yes
Medical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 06/04/2016
Occupational Pilot: Yes
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  34830 hours (Total, all aircraft) 

Student Pilot Information

Certificate: Private
Age: 27, Male
Airplane Rating(s): Single-engine Land
Seat Occupied: Left
Other Aircraft Rating(s): None
Restraint Used: 3-point
Instrument Rating(s): Airplane
Second Pilot Present: Yes
Instructor Rating(s): None
Toxicology Performed: No
Medical Certification: Class 2 Without Waivers/Limitations
Last FAA Medical Exam: 08/17/2016
Occupational Pilot: No
Last Flight Review or Equivalent:
Flight Time:  131.2 hours (Total, all aircraft), 7 hours (Total, this make and model)

Flight Instructor

The flight instructor, age 70, held an airline transport pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and airplane single-engine sea ratings, along with commercial pilot privileges for airplane multi-engine land and glider. He also held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single- and multi-engine and instrument ratings. A third-class FAA airman medical certificate was issued to the instructor on June 4, 2016, with the limitation, "must have available glasses for near vision." On the application for that medical certificate, the instructor reported 34,830 total hours of flight experience, of which 400 hours were in the previous 6 months. The flight instructor's logbook was not located.

Pilot Receiving Instruction

The pilot receiving instruction, age 27, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. He was issued a second-class FAA medical certificate on August 17, 2016 with no limitations. A review of flight school records revealed that, as of July 12, 2017, he had accumulated 131.2 hours of flight experience, of which 7 hours were in multi-engine airplanes.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: PIPER
Registration: N2173S
Model/Series: PA 44-180 180
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture: 1979
Amateur Built: No
Airworthiness Certificate: Normal
Serial Number: 44-7995245
Landing Gear Type:Tricycle 
Seats:
Date/Type of Last Inspection: 06/12/2017, Annual
Certified Max Gross Wt.: 3801 lbs
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: 2 Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time: 9460.5 Hours as of last inspection
Engine Manufacturer: LYCOMING
ELT: C91A installed, not activated
Engine Model/Series: O-360-E1A6D
Registered Owner: SUNRISE AVIATION INC
Rated Power: 180 hp
Operator: SUNRISE AVIATION INC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot School (141) 

The four-seat, low-wing, retractable gear, twin-engine airplane, serial number 44-7995245, was manufactured in 1979. The airplane was powered by 180-horsepower O-360-E1A6D and LO-360-F1A6D engines. Both engines were equipped with Hartzell constant-speed, 2-bladed propellers. The airplane was equipped with two 55-gallon fuel tanks.

Review of the airframe and engine maintenance logbooks revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on June 12, 2017, at an airframe total time of 9,460.5 hours and right engine tachometer hour reading of 9,460.5 hours. At the time of the inspection, the left engine had accumulated 2,174.0 hours since major overhaul and had an engine total time of 6,724.5 hours; the right engine had accumulated 3,122.4 hours since major overhaul and had an engine total time of 9,958.7 hours.

Using reported weights of both occupants (223 lbs and 185 lbs), an airplane empty weight of 2,460 lbs, and an estimated fuel load of 72 gallons (full fuel minus about 2 hours of flight time), the airplane was estimated to weigh about 3,285 lbs at the time of the accident. Maximum gross weight is 3,801 pounds. 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Night
Observation Facility, Elevation: KDAB, 41 ft msl
Distance from Accident Site: 30 Nautical Miles
Observation Time: 0253 UTC
Direction from Accident Site: 163°
Lowest Cloud Condition:
Visibility:  10 Miles
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 25000 ft agl
Visibility (RVR):
Wind Speed/Gusts: 3 knots /
Turbulence Type Forecast/Actual:
Wind Direction: 90°
Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual:
Altimeter Setting: 30.15 inches Hg
Temperature/Dew Point: 28°C / 26°C
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point: Brunswick, GA
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: Ormond Beach, FL (OMN)
Type of Clearance: VFR
Departure Time:
Type of Airspace: Class G

Recorded weather observation data from Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB), Daytona Beach, Florida, located about 30 miles south of the accident site, at 2253 included wind from 090° at 3 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, a broken cloud layer at 25,000 ft, temperature 28°C, dew point 26°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of mercury.

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 Fatal
Latitude, Longitude: 29.661944, -81.215833 

The airplane impacted terrain about 25 miles north of OMN. The main wreckage came to rest inverted within a heavily wooded area. Trees directly above the wreckage were broken, consistent with little to no forward movement of the airplane at impact. The outboard portions of the left and right wings, baggage door, and a portion of the right side of the stabilator were located throughout a 0.5-mile-long and 0.2-mile-wide debris path in water and marshland northwest of the main wreckage. The fuselage came to rest inverted on a heading about 022° magnetic. Various debris, including fragments of the left stabilator, were located within about 50 ft of the fuselage. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Fuselage

Examination of the recovered wreckage revealed that the roof structure was compressed into the cabin seating area. The fuselage was partially separated at fuselage station (FS) 156. The instrument panel was crushed aft into the front seat area. The cabin door and baggage area door were separated. Both the left and right inboard portion of the wings remained attached to the fuselage structure.

Both left and right seat control wheel horns were fragmented. The T-bar remained attached to the fuselage hinge point. The horizontal section was fragmented. The aileron control cables remained attached to the T-bar chain. The stabilator cables remained attached to the T-bar assembly. The rudder pedals were impact damaged. The rudder cables remained attached to the rudder cable assembly.

The left engine fuel selector valve lever was in the "on" position, and the right engine fuel selector valve lever was in the "off" position. The fuel selector valve positions could not be verified due to impact damage and mount separation at the fuselage. Air was applied to the fuel selector valves and continuity was established throughout each valve.

Left Wing

The outboard left wing was recovered about 0.48 mile west-northwest of the main wreckage. The main spar was fractured about wing station (WS) 105. The fiberglass wingtip was separated from the outboard wing at WS 206.7 and recovered mostly intact and undamaged. The left aileron was separated from the left outboard wing at the hinge points. Three sections of the left aileron were recovered, spanning from the inboard end about WS 106 to about WS 181. The outboard portion (25 inches) of the left aileron, including the aileron balance weight, was not recovered.

The main spar, leading edge, and upper and lower skins between about WS 105 and WS 130 were damaged and deformed up and aft indicative of an upward (positive) separation of the left outboard wing. There were several fractures and twisting deformation of the main spar structure in this area. The main spar inboard of the fracture point, between about WS 93 and WS 105, was deformed aft and down. A semicircular impact impression and tree debris were embedded in the wing structure in this area.

The aileron cables remained attached to the bellcrank and there was tearing of the WS 93 rib in an aft direction at the normal cable pass-through locations. The fractured ends of the aileron control and balance cables had a splayed appearance consistent with tension overload. The main spar fracture surfaces all had a dull, grainy appearance consistent with overstress separation. There was no evidence of any pre-existing corrosion or cracking on any of the fracture surfaces.

Right Wing

A large portion of the right outboard wing was recovered about 0.39 mile west-northwest of the main wreckage. The main spar upper cap was fractured about WS 126 and the lower cap was fractured about WS 148. The leading edge nose skin and ribs and lower leading edge skin were separated as a unit from the right outboard wing and recovered about 0.6 mile west-northwest of the main wreckage. A smaller piece of the leading edge lower skin about 3 ft long was also separated outboard of WS 170. The fiberglass wingtip was separated from the outboard wing at WS 206.7 and only the upper half was recovered. The right aileron was separated from the wing at the hinge points. The entire aileron was recovered; however, it was separated into two pieces at the center hinge point. The main spar inboard of the fracture point was deformed up and aft outboard of WS 105, indicative of an upward (positive) separation of the right outboard wing.

The aileron cables remained attached to the bellcrank and there were two cable tears through the upper wing skin inboard of the fracture point. The fractured ends of the aileron control and balance cables had a splayed, broomstraw appearance consistent with tension overload. The main spar fracture surfaces all exhibited a dull, grainy appearance consistent with overstress separation. There was no evidence of any pre-existing corrosion or cracking on any of the fracture surfaces.

Empennage

The vertical stabilizer was separated from the fuselage but remained connected to the fuselage by the electrical wiring. The two vertical stabilizer forward spar bolts remained installed in the stabilizer; however, they were pulled through the fuselage fitting in an upward direction. The vertical stabilizer rear attach fitting remained attached to the fuselage and was deformed aft and to the left. All the rivets that attached the fitting to the vertical stabilizer rear spar were sheared. The rudder was separated from the vertical stabilizer at the hinge points and was recovered at the main wreckage site. The rudder trim tab remained attached. The upper 12 to 18 inches of the vertical stabilizer and rudder were damaged and deformed to the left.

The horizontal stabilator hinge and counterweight was torn from the upper end of the vertical stabilizer and recovered at the main wreckage site. The left stabilator was torn into several pieces and was found wrapped around a tree at the main wreckage site. The left 28 inches and the center 29 inches of the trim tab were separated from the stabilator and recovered at the main wreckage site. The right side of the stabilator was separated from the empennage and recovered mostly intact about 0.6 mile west-northwest of the main wreckage. About 47 inches of the trim tab remained attached to the right stabilator. The right stabilator skins were buckled and there were impact impressions in the leading edge. The stabilator spar was fractured about right buttock line 7. The upper spar cap and upper stabilator skin were deformed and curled upward at the fracture point and the lower spar cap and lower stabilator skin had no obvious deformation. Matching of the fracture surfaces was indicative of upward direction separation to the left. The stabilator spar fracture surfaces all displayed a dull, grainy appearance consistent with overstress separation.

Flight Control Continuity

Flight control continuity was established throughout the airframe from the cockpit controls to all primary flight control surfaces. Numerous separations of the control system were observed. All areas of separation exhibited signatures consistent with overload separation.

Engine Examination

Left Engine

The left engine remained attached to the engine mount. The propeller assembly was partially separated from the engine just forward of the nose case and the crankshaft was fractured through about two-thirds of its circumference. The upper portion of the engine exhibited impact damage, mostly to the pushrod tubes. The upper spark plugs, vacuum pump, propeller governor, propeller, and fuel pump were removed from the engine. The crankshaft was rotated using the propeller flange. Rotational continuity was established throughout the engine and valve train. The No. 2 cylinder pushrods were damaged and would not allow for movement of the intake and exhaust rocker arm and valve when the crankshaft was rotated. After the No. 2 cylinder rocker arms were removed, thumb compression and suction was obtained on all four cylinders. All four cylinders were examined internally using a lighted borescope and were found unremarkable. Residual oil was present within the engine. The oil suction screen and oil filter were free of metallic debris.

The carburetor was impact separated and fractured across the throttle bore. The throttle and mixture control cables were separated; however, the cables remained attached to the respective control arms. The carburetor fuel inlet screen was missing, and the housing exhibited impact damage. The internal plastic float was intact and contained a blue liquid within 2 of the 3 bays. One bay was almost full of the liquid and the other bay was about one-third full. No fuel or debris was observed within the carburetor float bowl.

The engine-driven fuel pump base remained attached to the engine. The pump section of the governor was impact separated. The pump was partially disassembled and all internal components examined were unremarkable. Residual liquid consistent with fuel was observed within the fuel pump.

The top and bottom spark plugs were removed and examined. All four upper plugs were fractured and impact damaged. All eight spark plug electrodes exhibited worn normal signatures. All of the spark plugs exhibited dark gray deposits within the electrode area except for the No. 4 top spark plug; the electrode was separated consistent with impact damage.

The magneto remained attached to the engine and exhibited impact damage which precluded functional testing. All internal components were present and unremarkable.

The propeller governor base remained attached to the engine. The upper portion of the governor was fractured. The cable was separated however remained attached to the actuator arm. The propeller governor screen was free of debris.

The vacuum pump remained attached to the engine with external damage noted. The drive shaft was intact. The vacuum pump was disassembled. The carbon rotor was fractured, and the vanes remained intact.

Right Engine

The right engine remained attached to the engine mount. The propeller assembly was separated from the engine just forward of the nose case. The magneto and carburetor were separated from their respective mounts. The upper portion of the engine exhibited impact damage, mostly to the pushrod tubes. The upper spark plugs, vacuum pump, propeller governor, and fuel pump were removed from the engine. The crankshaft was rotated using a hand tool attached to an accessory drive mount pad. Rotational continuity was established throughout the engine and valve train. The No. 4 intake valve, No. 1 exhaust valve, and No. 3 intake and exhaust valve pushrods exhibited impact damage and would not allow for movement of the rocker arm and valve when the crankshaft was rotated. The rocker arms were removed and thumb compression and suction was obtained on all four cylinders. All four cylinders were examined internally using a lighted borescope and were found unremarkable. Residual oil was present within the engine. The oil suction screen and oil filter were free of metallic debris. The oil cooler hoses were secure to both the engine and oil cooler.

The carburetor was impact separated and fractured across the throttle bore. The throttle and mixture control cables were separated but remained attached to the respective control arms. The carburetor fuel inlet screen was partially crushed and exposed to elements, but was found free of debris. The internal plastic float was intact. No fuel or debris was observed within the carburetor float bowl.

The top and bottom spark plugs were removed and examined. All four upper plugs were fractured and impact damaged. All eight spark plug electrodes exhibited worn normal signatures. The number 1 upper and lower spark plugs exhibited darker deposits within the electrode area than the remainder of the spark plugs which exhibited light gray deposits.

The magneto was separated from the engine and exhibited impact damage which precluded functional testing. All internal components were present and unremarkable.

The engine-driven fuel pump base remained attached to the engine. The pump section of the governor was impact separated. The pump was partially disassembled, and all internal components examined were unremarkable. A liquid consistent with 100LL aviation fuel was observed within the fuel line from the engine-driven fuel pump to the carburetor.

The propeller governor base remained attached to the engine. The upper portion of the governor was fractured. The cable was separated but remained attached to the actuator arm. The propeller governor screen was free of debris.

The vacuum pump remained attached to the engine with no external damage noted. The drive shaft was intact. The vacuum pump was disassembled. The carbon rotor was fractured, and the vanes remained intact.

Propellers

Left

Examination of the left propeller revealed that all six mounting studs were present with no apparent damage to the propeller mounting flange. Both blades were bent aft and twisted leading edge down in varying degrees. The propeller pitch change mechanism appeared to be on the start lock. Blade one was rotated beyond the low pitch stop angle and the counterweight punctured the cylinder. The left propeller had chordwise/rotational abrasion on the camber side of the blades and witness marks indicating blade angle in the low range of normal operation.

Right

The right propeller was fractured from the engine aft of the crankshaft propeller mounting flange. The starter ring gear and crankshaft flange were still attached. All six mounting studs were present with no apparent damage to the propeller mounting flange. Blade one was bent aft and twisted. Blade two was unremarkable. The propeller pitch change mechanism appeared to be on the start lock. Blade one was rotated beyond the low pitch stop angle and the counterweight punctured the cylinder. The cylinder base appeared partially separated from the hub mounting area adjacent to blade one. The right propeller had chordwise/rotational abrasion on the camber side of the blades and witness marks indicating blade angle in the low range of normal operation. 

Medical And Pathological Information

An autopsy of the flight instructor was performed by the Flagler County Medical Examiner, St. Augustine, Florida. The autopsy report indicated that the pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries. The National Medical Services (NMS) Laboratory performed testing as part of the autopsy. Testing of a liver specimen detected ethanol at 0.087 gm/dl.

Toxicology testing on specimens recovered from the flight instructor performed at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory identified the following: anhydroecgonine methyl ester in liver, a product formed when cocaine is smoked; benzoylecgonine, the primary inactive metabolite of cocaine, at 22 ng/mg in liver and 25 ng/mg in muscle; ecgonine methyl ester, an inactive metabolite of cocaine, in liver; levamisole, a veterinary medicine and common cutting agent used to dilute the purity of street cocaine, in liver; delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, was detected in muscle at 108 ng/mg but was inconclusive in liver; and 11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH), the primary inactive metabolite of THC, was detected in in muscle at 4.5 ng/mg, in liver at 63.7 ng/mg, and in urine at 184.3 ng/ml. No ethanol was detected in the flight instructor's urine.

Cocaine is a strong central nervous system stimulant. Initial effects include euphoria, excitation, general arousal, dizziness, increased focus and alertness. At higher doses, effects may include psychosis, confusion, delusions, hallucinations, fear, antisocial behavior, and aggressiveness. Late effects, beginning within 1 to 2 hours after use, include dysphoria, depression, agitation, nervousness, drug craving, general central nervous system depression, fatigue, and insomnia. Additionally, more negative performance effects are expected after higher doses, with chronic ingestion, and during drug withdrawal, including agitation, anxiety, distress, inability to focus on divided attention tasks, inability to follow directions, confusion, hostility, time distortion, and poor balance and coordination.

Marijuana is a psychoactive central nervous system depressant. Concentrations of THC and THC-COOH are very dependent on pattern of use as well as dose. Concentrations vary depending on the potency of marijuana and the way the drug is used; however, peak plasma concentrations of 100-200 ng/mL are routinely encountered shortly after smoking. Plasma concentrations of THC decline rapidly and are often less than 5 ng/ml after 3 hours. Determination of accurate blood levels from known tissue levels is not possible at this time due to limited research and the drug's complex distribution and metabolism. Following smoking marijuana, most behavioral and physiological effects return to baseline levels within 3-5 hours after drug use, although some studies have demonstrated residual effects in specific behaviors up to 24 hours, such as complex divided attention tasks. In long-term users, even after periods of abstinence, selective attention (ability to filter out irrelevant information) has been shown to be adversely affected with increasing duration of use, and speed of information processing has been shown to be impaired with increasing frequency of use.

During an interview with the instructor's son, he reported that his family, including his father, were casual users of marijuana. He said that he knew of previous instances that his father used cocaine; however, he did not know when his father had last used either substance.

The use of cocaine and marijuana is prohibited under 14 CFR 91.17, which prohibits a person to act or attempt to act as a crew member of a civil aircraft while using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any ways contrary to safety.

Ethanol is primarily a social drug with a powerful central nervous system depressant. After absorption, ethanol is quickly distributed throughout the body's tissues and fluids fairly uniformly. Ethanol may also be produced in the body after death by microbial activity, however, vitreous humor and urine do not suffer from such production to any significant extent in relation to other tissues.

Pilot Receiving Instruction

An external-only examination autopsy of the pilot receiving instruction was performed by the Flagler County Medical Examiner, St. Augustine, Florida. The autopsy report indicated that the pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries.

Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was not performed.

Tests And Research

The airplane's design maneuvering speeds (VA) was 133 kts for a heavy airplane (3,800 lbs) and 112 kts for a lighter configuration (2,700 lbs; given the airplane's estimated weight at the time of the accident, (about 3,250 to 3,350 lbs), the design maneuvering speed was between 112 and 133 kts. The maximum structural cruising speed (Vno) was 165 kts.


An NTSB performance study calculated the airplane's indicated airspeed based on radar and ADS-B data. The study found that the airplane was flying at an altitude about 5,500 ft and an airspeed just above 130 kts with some variation. At 2257:36, the airplane began to descend and its airspeed increased to a maximum of 144 kts at 2257:59. At 2258:27, the airplane began to rapidly climb at a rate of 6,000 ft per minute (fpm) over the next 4 seconds from 5,200 ft to 5,600 ft before beginning its final descent. From 2258:32 to 2258:45, the rate of descent was in excess of 10,000 fpm. During this descent, the airplane exceeded Vno at 2258:39. The end of the radar and ADS-B data showed different flight paths; when combined, they show a right descending turn at the end of the flight. For more information, see the Performance Study within the public docket for this accident. 

NTSB Identification: WPR17FA151
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Thursday, July 13, 2017 in Marineland, FL
Aircraft: PIPER PA 44-180, registration: N2173S
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On July 13, 2017, about 2300 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180, N2173S, was destroyed during a descent and subsequent inflight breakup near Marineland, Florida. The flight instructor and private pilot receiving instruction were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Sunrise Aviation Inc., Ormond Beach, Florida, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight which originated from Brunswick, Georgia, at an undetermined time with an intended destination of the Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (OMN), Ormond, Florida.

Information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the flight reported to Air Traffic Control that they had OMN in sight while at an altitude of about 5,400 feet mean sea level (MSL). Shortly after, radar and radio communication was lost with the accident airplane. The FAA issued an alert notice (ALNOT) shortly after. The main wreckage was located by air units about 1141 on July 14, 2017.

The main wreckage came to rest inverted within a heavily wooded area. The outboard portions of the left and right wings, baggage door, and a portion of the right stabilator were located throughout a 0.5-mile-long and 0.2-mile-wide debris path that spanned across water and marshland northwest of the main wreckage.

The located wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.

Jeffrey Matthew Salan
August 29, 1946 - July 13, 2017



Muhammad Al-Anzi



Jeff Salan's Final Expenses

On the evening of July 13, 2017, our father and husband, Jeff Salan, was tragically killed in a plane crash. Jeff had been a pilot and instructor for more than half of his 70 years of life, and he loved every minute of it. He loved his career and his students, and there are hundreds, if not thousands, of pilots, both active and retired, who will tell you that they are alive today because of the skills and knowledge that they learned at Jeff Salan's side.

Jeff could have focused his career on making money, flying big jets and seeing the world, however, he chose to be home each day and do the one job he took even more pride in than teaching: being a father and husband.
Jeff has been married to his loving wife, Jane, for 40 years, and they raised two dutiful and family-oriented children. As the sole-earner in the household, Jeff worked nearly every day of the year to provide for his family. 

This loss has nearly broken us. We say nearly because he instilled in us his refusal to break or bend, even when times were at their worst. And times are certainly at their worst for our family.

The cost of burying our father, our husband, is insurmountable at this time without help. We do not cremate our family members, and we want to keep Jeff close to us and the place we have called home for the last 37 years.

The financial goal set for this fundraiser is an estimated cost for an in-ground burial at a cemetery near our home. An anonymous donor has now offered to cover those expenses, so the money raised will be used for associated costs and final expenses. We ask that you be generous, if you can, just as Jeff was generous towards his students, his coworkers, and his family. It may normally be a cliche, but Jeff Salan truly was the man who would give you the shirt off of his back without a second thought.

The Salan family thanks you in advance for all the help you may provide us in our time of need.

https://www.gofundme.com


FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - Jeffrey Salan, 70, of Ormond Beach, and Mohammed Alanazi, 27, from Saudi Arabia, died when a twin-engine plane from an Ormond Beach flight school went down late Thursday night, the medical examiner confirmed.

After hours of searching near the Flagler-St. Johns county line, the Piper PA44 was found Friday upside down in a clump of trees near Pellicer Creek, just west of Marineland. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said one body was found with the wreckage and there did not appear to be any survivors.

Salan was a flight instructor for Sunrise Aviation Fight School. A spokesman for the school said they were on a routine night training flight.

"The families of the student, all of whom are in Saudi Arabia, and the family of our local instructor are all distraught, as you can imagine," said Patrick Murphy, director of training for Sunrise Aviation.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Salan's family with funeral expenses. 

"Jeff could have focused his career on making money, flying big jets and seeing the world, however, he chose to be home each day and do the one job he took even more pride in than teaching: being a father and husband," the GoFundMe page reads. "Jeff has been married to his loving wife, Jane, for 40 years, and they raised two dutiful and family-oriented children. As the sole-earner in the household, Jeff worked nearly every day of the year to provide for his family. This loss has nearly broken us. We say nearly because he instilled in us his refusal to break or bend, even when times were at their worst. And times are certainly at their worst for our family."

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. They have not provided any indication of what might have caused the plane to go down.


https://www.news4jax.com




Jeddah — A Saudi commercial pilot under instruction was killed in a twin-engine plane crash in the River To Sea Preserve near the St. Johns County line on Thursday, National Transportation Safety Board Investigator Joshua Cawthra confirmed to the local media.

Muhammad Al-Anzi, 27, who died along with his 70-year-old flight instructor, is to be buried in Riyadh.

Al-Anzi, married with a 3-year-old daughter, had gone to the US in 2014 to obtain a commercial flight pilot license.

The “mangled” aircraft was found shortly before noon Friday after about a 12-hour search, according to Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.

Investigators collected debris from the plane wreckage scattered across a marshy area near the Matanzas River in eastern Flagler County, reported the Daytona Beach News Journal.

Cawthra said that the cause of the crash is still under investigation, and that a preliminary report will be released within a week or so.

Authorities previously confirmed that the downed plane belonged to Sunrise Aviation, a private flight school in Ormond Beach.

Federal Aviation Administration reports indicate the flight was bound for Ormond Beach from Brunswick, Georgia, when radar contact was lost about 22 miles north of Ormond Beach just after 11 p.m. Thursday.


http://saudigazette.com.sa

National Transportation Safety Board Investigator Joshua Cawthra









A 12-hour search by land, water and air ended just before noon Friday when a Piper PA-44 Seminole trainer aircraft sought since the FAA first reported losing contact with it Thursday night was found upside-down in dense brush near Marineland and the Flagler/ St. Johns County line.

Crushed and cracked in half according to images just released by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, it appears those on board are dead, according to Sheriff Rick Staly.

The white airplane had been the subject of a search by multiple state, federal and local agencies since the FAA lost contact with it around 11 p.m. Thursday, Staly said.

The plane was being operated by Sunrise Flight Academy in Ormond Beach, and its training director confirmed a student from Saudi Arabia and an instructor are both missing, according to First Coast News.

The FAA said that it lost contact with the Piper PA-44 aircraft approximately 22 miles north of Ormond Beach. The Coast Guard said it went down in the vicinity of Pellicer Creek, after taking off from Brunswick and heading to Ormond Beach. Witnesses heard what they described as the sound of an engine sputtering as the aircraft flew by, according to First Coast News.


Just after 11:30 a.m., the main part of the aircraft was discovered by a news helicopter from Orlando’s WESH-TV, crashed in the 90-acre River to Sea Preserve, which straddles both sides of Florida and is owned jointly by Flagler County and the Town of Marineland.

Staly said he had been to the wreck site and it appears that the aircraft clipped a tree and flipped over. Only one victim’s body was visible when he joined investigators there Friday morning, one of its landing gear deployed on the flattened wreckage surrounded by dense palmettos, according to Sheriff’s Office photos.

“It is a very tragic ending to a search. You always hope you can find people alive. There is no indication we will find survivors,” Staly said. “… I can see one [body]. It is a very crumpled aircraft, and by how it’s lying, you can’t see into the fuselage.”

The 34-year-old flight school, which also calls itself Sunrise Aviation, is based at 740 Airport Road in Ormond Beach. Sunrise is also a flight training provider for Florida State College at Jacksonville’s degree programs in professional pilot technology, as well as at Polk State College at Lakeland, Florida. It has satellite training facilities at Jacksonville’s Cecil and Herlong Recreational airports. The academy says it is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration on its website.

Staly couldn’t confirm how many people were in the airplane as what was a search and rescue operation shifted to a recovery effort that will see a crane brought in to flip it over so investigators can get inside. Staff at the Sunrise Flight Academy’s satellite office at Craig Airport did not wish to comment when reached. But a sign on the front door of its Ormond Beach office said all school activities were cancelled Friday since it is “dealing with an emergency involving one of its aircraft,” according to an image tweeted by First Coast News. The note also states a meeting was set for Friday afternoon with all cadets and instructors.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office command post was relocated to the crash site, which is on dry land, to “protect the scene.” The National Transportation Safety Board will take over the crash investigation.

“The indications are no one survived. It is clear one person is deceased inside the aircraft,” Staly said. “We can’t get inside to see how many more.”

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Chief Mark Strobridge, who saw the wrecked aircraft, said it will be “days or weeks” before investigators can officially confirm who was on board. But rescuers got to the site on foot and via Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission airboat to find the aircraft “fairly intact,” Staly said.

“It was a hard impact,” he said, adding there was no sign of fire.

The Piper Seminole is a 27.6-foot-long aircraft with two 180-hp engines on a 38.6-foot wingspan, and has been built for more than 20 years, according to the aircraft company website.

Coast Guard assisted in the search for survivors, a crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater was launched at 2:15 a.m. St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Rescue as well as the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office joined in the search efforts.

http://staugustine.com

MARINELAND, FL (WTLV/WJXX) -- The wreckage of a small plane that crashed late Thursday has been found in a remote area near the Flagler-St. Johns County line. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said he believes there were no survivors.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the plane they found is the same one they had been looking for that flew out of Sunrise Aviation flight school in Ormond Beach near Daytona.

Sunrise Aviation director of training Patrick Murphy told First Coast News that a 27-year-old student from Saudi Arabia and a 70-year-old instructor went missing. He said he believes they were on the plane, but this has yet to be confirmed by authorities.

The FAA said it lost contact with a Piper PA-44 aircraft approximately 22 miles north of Ormond Beach around 11 p.m. Thursday.

The aircraft took off on what the flight school calls a routine flight from St. Simons Island, Georgia and was returning to Ormond Beach when it disappeared. A crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater was launched at 2:15 a.m.

The sheriff said the plane might have clipped a tree before crashing. Witnesses heard what they described as the sound of an engine sputtering.

The 27-year-old student has a young daughter and wife in Saudi Arabia. He was aiming to go back home to fly for an airline, First Coast News has learned.

"Most of our students are international, so we get to know them close," Murphy said. "Students are family, particularly in this kind of program where students come to us for six or 12 months."

Sunrise Aviation has been around since the 1980s. An official with the flight school said this is the first crash in which someone was critically hurt or killed.

4 comments:

  1. So sorry to have learned of the loss of life with this accident. Having known this aircraft very well and having flown it many hours to many destinations was very enjoyable as a pilot. Prayers to the families of those who lost their life.

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  2. Let's hope we can find the reason this aircraft went down it is not common for this type of aircraft to just drop out of the sky. God bless and god speed to the pilot and instructor.


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  3. A friend of mine and my father's directed me to this site. I had never heard of this place, and I am absolutely floored by the fact you have made a collection of all the articles about my father's crash. Thank you.
    My father was Jeff Salan, the flight instructor for this flight. We laid him to rest yesterday, and the turnout was bigger than anyone could have predicted. My father was one of the most experienced pilots and flight instructors in the Central Florida region, with over 34,000 hours dual given. If there was ANY way for someone to not have wrecked this plane, he would have found it. Anonymous above is correct - let us all hope we can find out why this happened. This plane should not have come apart in the sky, yet it appears that that is exactly what happened.
    Thank you to both commenters, and anyone else who visits here and thinks of my father or Mr. AlNazi.

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  4. N2173S. In 2007 "unable to maintain directional control, and the airplane exited
    the runway collapsing the left main gear and substantially damaging the airplane."



    https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20070808X01138&AKey=1&RType=Summary&IType=CA

    ReplyDelete