ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 276629
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 17 March 2022 |
| Time: | 15:38 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | N8357Y |
| MSN: | 30-1504 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2290 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Pond Creek, OK -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Marshall Municipal Airport-Ryan Field, MN (MML/KMML) |
| Lincoln, NE | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The non-instrument-rated pilot and 2 passengers departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight. Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data indicated that after takeoff the airplane tracked north and climbed to a cruise altitude of 8,500 ft and then later climbed to 16,500 ft. About an hour and 25 minutes later, the airplane began a descent and turned momentarily to the east. The airplane then turned west and back to the north while it descended. The ground speed decreased from over 200 kts to under 100 kts. Mode C position reporting data was lost followed by the loss of all track data. The airplane was not in contact, nor was it required to be in contact, with ATC.
A witness in the area reported that he heard what sounded like a motocross bike engine revving to full throttle. He then looked up and saw what he initially thought was a weather balloon coming straight down. He realized it was an airplane and videoed the airplane in its descent. The airplane was in a right-hand nose-down spin. The video showed the airplane descend until, moments before impacting terrain, it became obscured by tall grass. In the video, the airplane's aft fuselage and empennage were separated and neither the propellers nor the outboard wings and fuel tip tanks were seen.
Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) existed in the area, where Mode C position reporting and all track data was unavailable.
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane had a serviced oxygen system; however, no oxygen masks or cannulas were found in the wreckage, and the pilot's mechanic and flight instructor stated that they were not kept on board the airplane. Federal Aviation Regulations require all occupants on board to use supplemental oxygen above 15,000 ft mean sea level. The pilot's operation of the airplane above this altitude for almost 90 minutes would have likely led to a performance impairment resulting from hypoxia. The airplane's track deviations away from its intended destination could have been the result of one or more of the following: 1) an attempt to maneuver the airplane to avoid IMC; 2) the pilot's impaired performance as a result of hypoxia; and/or 3) the onset of spatial disorientation. However, there was insufficient evidence from which to determine the degree to which hypoxia and spatial disorientation played a role in the sequence of events leading to the airplane's departure from controlled flight.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of control of the airplane, resulting in an in-flight breakup.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN22FA145
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N8357Y
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Mar-2022 13:49 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 18-Mar-2022 14:21 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Mar-2022 14:32 | aaronwk | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Mar-2022 16:23 | johnwg | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 18-Mar-2022 16:35 | PolandMoment | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Mar-2022 23:51 | johnwg | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Narrative, Category] |
| 29-Mar-2022 22:25 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category] |
| 19-Aug-2023 08:26 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [[Time, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation