Piper Malibu Apparently Tried To Return To Airport
The NTSB still hasn't
gotten a handle on what caused a modified Piper Malibu turboprop to
go down on Hilton Head Island (SC) last Sunday. The pilot,
61-year-old Robert E. Bell, Jr., and his wife, Andrea Gilstrap
Bell, 58, both from Hickory (NC) were killed in the accident.
The NTSB's preliminary report indicates the North Carolina
couple had stayed at Hilton Head for a couple of days. They
departed at 1525 Sunday, but apparently tried to return to the
airport moments later. The NTSB report contains statements
from two witnesses who said the Malibu was 'trailing smoke' as it
struggled for the numbers back at Hilton Head. "Another witness
monitoring the airport frequency heard the pilot declare an
emergency and state what sounded like 'cover off,' " the report
said.
That's intriguing because investigators found a fuel cap from
one of the aircraft's tanks near the Hilton Head runway.
Still, investigators don't have a hard link to the gas cap and
whatever might have caused the aircraft to depart controlled
flight.
"The fact that the fuel cap was off would not in and of itself
cause a crash," said John Curry, a member of the Beaufort County
Aviation Board, who had portions of the report read to him over the
phone Friday.
Curry suggested the only a fuel leak might have caused the crash
would have been if the Malibu had run out of fuel. He suggested
Bell might have become distracted by the missing gas cap and failed
to keep up with the aircraft. He suggested the Malibu stalled and
that Bell might not have reacted quickly enough to recover. The
wreckage has been shipped to Atlanta for further NTSB
investigation. That, said a spokeswoman, could take months.
The Malibu, N70DL, was a "Jet Prop" conversion, fitted with a
Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 turbine. The retrofit was performed
under a Supplemental Type Certificate.
NTSB Identification: ATL03FA133
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, August 31, 2003 in Hilton Head Is,
SC
Aircraft: Piper PA-46-310P, registration: N70DL
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.
On August 31, 2003, at 1529 eastern daylight time, a Piper
PA-46-310P, N70DL, registered to Hickory Travel LLC and operated by
the private pilot, collided with trees and the ground and caught
fire during an attempted return for landing at Hilton Head Airport,
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The personal flight was
operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an
instrument flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions
prevailed. The private pilot and passenger received fatal injuries,
and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed
Hilton Head Airport, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, about 1525
on August 31, 2003.
A witness at the
airport heard the pilot announce his takeoff from runway 21 on the
airport Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. Minutes later, the
witness heard the pilot declare an emergency and announce
intentions for an immediate return. The witness observed the
airplane on a left downwind for runway 21 and stated it appeared to
be streaming white and brown smoke from the front. He stated the
airplane was descending on downwind and disappeared briefly behind
the treeline approximately abeam the midfield position, then it
reappeared in a climb with its landing gear down. The witness
stated the airplane climbed to about 400 feet, then banked abruptly
into a steep turn to the left, and the nose pitched up. The witness
stated the airplane maintained the left bank and the nose-high
position and sank from view behind the trees. He then heard the
sound of an impact followed by thick black smoke. Another witness
monitoring the airport frequency heard the pilot declare an
emergency and state what sounded like "cover off." Another witness
on the ground northeast of the airport saw the airplane fly low
over his home, then bank and turn directly toward the airport with
what appeared to be smoke coming from the left wing tip only.
Initial examination found the airplane in a wooded area behind a
residence .78 nautical miles northeast of the airport center. The
wreckage path extended approximately sixty feet on a 230-degree
magnetic heading from a tree freshly broken 20 feet above ground
level. The engine assembly was found separated and displayed impact
and fire damage, and the forward and upper cabin were consumed by
fire. The tail assembly was attached to the aft fuselage. The
header fuel tank was found separated, and a sample of clean, clear
fuel was obtained from the tank. Both wings were impact and fire
damaged, and the wing fuel tanks were breached. The right inboard
fuel cap was found secure in the filler port with the handle in the
stowed position. The left inboard fuel cap was absent from the
filler port. A ground search found the left inboard fuel cap in the
grass beside runway 21 with the handle in the stowed position. The
airplane was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 turbine
engine under a Supplemental Type Certificate.
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.13.24)
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