NTSB Factual Report

On September 29, 2017, about 2213 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N9549W, was destroyed when it impacted trees and terrain near Brinnon, Washington during a night cross-country flight. The student pilot received serious injuries, and the certificated flight instructor (CFI) received fatal injuries. The instructional flight was conducted in accordance with visual flight rules (VFR) under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to the pilot who flew the airplane just prior to the accident pilots, the airplane was based at Sanderson Field airport (SHN), Shelton, Washington (WA), and was owned and operated by the flying club "Shelton Flight." That pilot stated that he and his son flew the airplane for about an hour, and the airplane operated normally, with no irregularities or problems. After landing, they topped off the fuel tanks with 7.6 gallons of fuel, and turned the airplane over to the accident pilots about 2000. Although it appears that the accident pilots did not file a flight plan and were not in radio communication with any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control facilities on any of the three flight legs they flew that night, FAA ground-based tracking radar captured most portions of those three legs, including the accident leg. According to the radar data, the airplane departed SHN about 2050, and headed generally northeast towards Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field, PAE), Everett, WA. The airplane arrived at PAE about 2130, where the radar data is consistent with a touch and go landing. The airplane then departed PAE and flew about 23 miles west to Jefferson County International Airport (0S9) Port Townsend, WA. The radar data is consistent with a touch and go landing at 0S9 about 2156. The radar data then depicts the airplane departing 0S9 and flying a ground track on a direct course towards SHN. The airplane climbed to a maximum radar-indicated altitude of 3,850 feet, and then descended and leveled off at about 3,300 feet. The radar track ended about 18 miles south of 0S9. The last radar return was obtained at 2212:23, about 1,250 feet north of the accident location, and at an indicated altitude of 3,250 feet. About 2238, the student pilot telephoned 911 to summon help; this was the first notification that the airplane was missing or had crashed.

First responders reached the wreckage about 0500 the next morning, and the student pilot was airlifted from the scene by a US Navy helicopter a few hours later. Investigation and recovery personnel accessed the accident site two days after the accident. The accident location was coincident with a straight line connecting 0S9 to SHN. The wreckage was situated on a heavily wooded slope in the Olympic National Forest. Most trees appeared to be pine, with trunks up to about 18 inches in diameter, and heights of 75 feet or more. Site elevation was about 3,075 feet. A partial swath of tree strikes by the airplane was observed, with an approximate heading of 110°, and a descent angle of about 30°.

The fuselage came to rest upright, on an approximate heading of 180°, at about a 30° airplane nose down angle, with the aft end partially supported by vegetation. The engine remained attached to the fuselage. The propeller remained attached to the engine, and both were partially embedded in the soil. The cockpit volume was compromised by crushing in the aft direction. Both fuel tanks were breached, and no fuel was observed at the time of the site examination. Both wings and the left horizontal stabilizer were fracture-separated from the fuselage. All aerodynamic and flight control surfaces appeared to be present at the accident site. The key remained in the ignition switch, which was set to the "BOTH" position. The cockpit fuel selector valve handle was found set to the right fuel tank. The tachometer registered 5,495.38 hours. The 121.5 Mhz emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was found still attached to its antenna cable, and the switch was found in the "AUTO" (armed) position. The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for subsequent detailed examination.

The student pilot obtained his FAA third-class medical certificate in September 2015. He had logged 44.5 hours of flight time, not including the accident flight, in his personal logbook. His first flight was in December 2016, and all except one flight were conducted in the accident airplane. The CFI was a retired airline pilot with multiple type ratings. Insurance application information indicated that he had a total flight experience of over 27,000 hours, including more than 2,000 hours in fixed-gear, single-engine airplanes. Neither his flight instruction nor PA-28 experience was available at the time of this report.

FAA information indicated that the airplane was manufactured in 1967, and that it was purchased by Shelton Flight in August 2015. Maintenance records indicated that the airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-320-E2A series engine. The engine was overhauled and installed in the accident airplane in October 1994, at which time the airplane tachometer registered 4,791.0 hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed in September 2017, at which time the airplane tachometer registered 5,461.9 hours.

The 0S9 2215 automated weather observation included winds from 130 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 miles, overcast skies at 4,200 feet, temperature 12 degrees C, dew point 11 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.06 inches of mercury.