Preliminary report on Delaware County plane crash released

TROUT CREEK, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary investigation report on the Delaware County plane crash. The crash occurred on June 30 at around 1:55 p.m. and resulted in the pilot and four passengers being fatally injured.

According to the report, the plane, a Piper PA-46-310P, N85PG, departed from the Albert S. Nadar Regional Airport in Oneonta at around 1:42 p.m., intending to reach the West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia. After departure, the pilot contacted the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center for instrument flight rules clearance.

The controller directed the plane to climb 10,000 feet mean sea level (MSL). After that, the controller issued a weather advisory to the pilot stating that there would be moderate and heavy precipitation on the pilot's right side for 30 miles. The pilot acknowledged both of these.

The report says that around 1:49 p.m. the plane was issued to climb to 12,000 feet MSL while already at 6,100 feet MSL, which the pilot acknowledged. At about 1:52 p.m., the airplane was deviating left of course and the controller said, “N85PG it looks like you’re deviating left for weather and which fix do you want to go uh downstream to?”

At 1:53 p.m. the plane began a right turn, but as it was turning the plane's altitude dropped from 9,900 feet MSL to 9,100 feet MSL and the speed increased from 120 nautical miles per hour (kts ground speed) to a maximum of 213 KTS ground speed. After that, the plane climbed in altitude but began experiencing altitude and ground speed fluctuations until 1:54 p.m. when it started a descending spiral from 9,025 feet MSL.

The last track data point was recorded 16 seconds after the spiral started with the plane at 6,500 feet MSL and a ground speed of 242 KTS. The location where the plane crashed was about a half mile northwest of the last track data point.

The main wreckage consisted of the engine, fuselage, inboard portion of the right wing, and the left wing. The rest of the wreckage was within about 1.09 miles of the main wreckage.

All fracture surfaces were consistent with overload failure. The vertical speed indicator faceplate was recovered and the descent rate was 4,000 feet per minute, according to the report.

The engine was still attached to the airframe through the engine mount when found and was buried about three feet into the ground at the crash site. Both magnetos were secured to the engine and sparked on all leads when their drive shafts were rotated by hand and with an electric drill.

The Nos. two, four, and six bottom sparkplugs were removed and appeared normal when compared to the Champion Aerospace Aviation Check-A-Plug chart. When examined via a lighted borescope, Nos. two and six cylinders had no anomalies.

The two engine-driven vacuum pumps remained attached to the engine at all attachment points. The drive couplings for the vacuum pumps were intact and when they were disassembled for examination, the rotors and vanes were intact inside of them.

Records revealed that the pilot purchased 45.4 gallons of 100LL aviation gasoline the day before the crash at a self-service fuel pump. The fuel station was inspected after the crash and the fuel did not have any contaminants.

The pilot reportedly used a third-party subscription service to file his flight plan and obtained a weather briefing that included a convective SIGMET, which is issued for severe convective activity, which implies severe turbulence, severe icing, and low-level wind shear, according to the National Weather Service. The plane was retained for further examination.