Titusville

On September 15, 2019, at 1146 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P, N218MW, lost engine power while maneuvering over the Gulf of Mexico, and the pilot was forced to ditch. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Mailworks, Inc., Spring Valley, California, under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and the flight was operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated at 0830 eastern daylight time from Space Coast Regional Airport (TIX), Titusville, Florida, and was en route to Ozona Municipal Airport (OZA), Ozona, Texas. His final destination was Gillespie Field Airport (SEE), El Cajon, California. According to the pilot's accident report, he departed TIX with 140 gallons of fuel. After crossing Gulfport (GPT), Mississippi's Terminal Radar Service Area (TRSA) at 10,500 ft, he initiated a slow descent over Boothville, Louisiana, and proceeded southbound towards the mouth of the Mississippi River, descending to 1,500 ft. He then configured the airplane for climb. The engine did not respond to the application of power and the airplane began losing altitude. After going through the emergency checklist, he was unable to restore engine power, and declared an emergency to Houston air route traffic control center (ARTCC) and on frequency 121.5 mHz. He also activated the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) prior to ditching. After ditching, the pilot put on his life jacket, exited the airplane, and remained on its wing until it sank. About an hour later, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter rescued the pilot and transported him to a hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was discharged a few hours later. The airplane has not been recovered.

The flight was in cruise flight at 27,000 feet when the airplane encountered unforecasted severe turbulence. The pilot made a "mayday" on the airplane radio to Jacksonville Center. Within several seconds the airplane accelerated from 175 knots through 300 knots ground speed and descended from 27,000 feet to 16,500 feet. The airplane disappeared from radar coverage and was located by Sheriff Department personnel 15 miles north of Homerville, Georgia, in a swampy area. Airframe components recovered from the accident site were submitted to the NTSB Materials laboratory for examination. The examinations revealed all failures were due to overload. Examination of the airframe revealed that the airframe design limits were exceeded. The pilot did not obtain a weather briefing before the flight departed.

Witnesses on the ground reported that the engines sounded normal while the airplane was taxiing to takeoff. After takeoff witnesses reported seeing white smoke trailing the left engine. The airplane was observed to bank to the left with a bank angle of about 90°. The airplane then pitched nose down, descended, and collided with trees and the ground. Examination of the left engine oil separator from the turbocharger assembly revealed that a section of pipe near a flange which is connected to the turbocharger oil outlet failed due to fatigue. There was no other failure or malfunction noted with the left or right engines and propellers. The mixture control arm on the left engine fuel control unit was found in the 'off' position. Additionally, the fuel selectors and magneto switches were also found in the 'off' position. A pilot-rated passenger occupied the left forward seat.

The pilot stated that while in level flight the left engine failed and he observed a fire warning light and shut the engine down, the right engine then began to run rough and lose power. He then restarted the left engine but neither developed enough power to sustain flight. He executed a forced landing on a highway and struck a vehicle and a fire erupted. Examination of the left engine revealed a cross threaded fuel nozzle fitting and soot patterns aft of it. No cause for the right engine failure was found. No evidence of an annual inspection was found.

About 5-10 min after takeoff the pilot leaned the mixture on a rough running engine. About 30 minutes later the left engine began to overspeed. The pilot was unable to feather the prop. The pilot returned toward the departure point with max power on the right engine. Unable to reach the airport, an emergency landing was made on a highway, directional control was lost, and the airplane collided with trees. Last annual was in 1978. Left propeller start lock pin blade L3 corroded, in extended position. Left propeller pitch control cable separated, frayed, corroded. General deterioration of piston rings and #6 conrod. Right prop governor control cables corroded, frayed. Right engine #5 intake pipe connection and hose missing. All compression rings pistons #1 and #5 severely worn, top two compression rings piston #2 seized. No record that the airplane had been inspected by an a&p mechanic or FAA approved airframe repair station. Pilot stated flight manual not available or used during ground or flight operations.

Witnesses saw the aircraft briefly before it crashed. One witness saw the aircraft flying toward a dark cloud at an unknown altitude, but too high to fly under it. Shortly thereafter, he heard the engine noise increase and decrease, then increase until it was loud. He then heard what sounded like an explosion. He did not see the crash, but saw smoke from the crash site. A woman close to the crash site said the weather was very windy, heavy rain was falling and visibility was restricted. An examination of the wreckage revealed the outboard wing panels had failed from positive overloads and the left horizontal stabilizer had failed downward. These parts were found 3/4 to 1 mile from the main wreckage. Prior to the flight, a passenger, who paid for fuel and minor maintenance, said the purpose of the flight was for surveying. However, no surveying equipment was on board. Sheriff personnel said the aircraft was under surveillance for an illegal operation.

Shortly after takeoff witnesses observed the aircraft in a steep left bank descending until it crashed approximately 1,200 feet northwest of the departure end of the runway. According to the passenger the initial climb distracting the attention of the pilot who lost control of the aircraft while attempting to close the door. The inadvertent opening of the top section of the cabin door in flight is not considered critical. The before starting engines and before takeoff check lists call for "cabin door closed and locked pin indicators check on green mark." According to the passenger the pilot performed a cockpit check without the aid of a written check list. The pilot was killed while the passenger was seriously injured.

The pilot departed Titusville on a local flight when he lost control of the airplane that entered a dive and crashed in flames in Morrisville. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.