Piper PA 46 350P accident near Spokane, WA
On May 7, 2015, a Piper PA 46 350P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Spokane, WA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 7, 2015
- Place
- Spokane, WA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46 350P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 47.686°N, 117.327°W
- NTSB ID
- 20150508X05509
Official records · WPR15FA158
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- KSFF Air Traffic Control Tower Personnel Record of Visit (FAA): Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Air Traffic Control KSFF Audio Recordings: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 7, 2015, at 1604 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA 46-350P, N962DA, struck the Spokane River following an attempted landing at Felts Field Airport, Spokane, Washington. The airplane was owned by Flying Colors Aviation LLC, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and pilot rated passenger sustained fatal injuries and the airplane was destroyed during the impact sequence. The local flight departed Felts Field at 1553. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The airplane had just undergone an annual inspection at the facilities of Rocket Engineering, and the accident flight was to be a post-maintenance test flight. Both the pilot and passenger were employees of Rocket Engineering, and the planned flight time was about 40 minutes. Audio and radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) captured the entire flight sequence. The accident was also observed by multiple witnesses at the airport, along with air traffic control personnel in the control tower. The pilot specifically requested to depart from the longer Runway 4L, and 11 minutes after making the initial call, the airplane began the takeoff roll. Radar data indicated that almost immediately after takeoff it began a climbing turn, 10 degrees to the right. After flying on that heading for about 1.5 miles, the airplane began a more aggressive turn to the right, reaching 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) while on a southbound heading. The sound of labored breathing was then tr
Probable cause
The mechanic's incorrect installation of two aileron cables and the subsequent inadequate functional checks of the aileron system before flight by both the mechanic and the pilot, which prevented proper roll control from the cockpit, resulting in the pilot's subsequent loss of control during flight. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic's and the pilot's self-induced pressure to complete t
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Browse: Washington · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
