Cheyenne, WY, USA
N44508
Express 2000RG
Shortly after departure, the pilot informed air traffic control that he had an engine failure, and the airplane entered a left turn back toward the airport. The pilot then told the controller that he was not going to be able to make it back to the airport and he was going to land in a field. The pilot then reported that he had a fire onboard the airplane. The airplane impacted the ground in a storage yard and slid into a storage unit. The airplane was destroyed by impact and fire damage. A performance study revealed that, while in the turn to the field, the airplane banked right about 75° with an increase in pitch from 0° to about 11° nose up at an altitude of about 400 ft above the ground. The airplane exceeded the critical angle of attack, entered an accelerated stall, and departed controlled flight. It is likely that due to the inflight fire and the loss of engine power, the pilot was unable to maintain control of the airplane during the last portion of the flight. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded operations; however, the examination was limited due to impact and fire damage. The reason for the reported loss of engine power could not be determined. Due to the postimpact fire, the source of ignition for the inflight fire could not be determined.
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 30, 2022, about 0748 mountain daylight time, an Express 2000RG airplane, N44508, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Radio transmissions from the pilot were recorded by Cheyenne Air Traffic Control Tower and position information was determined through automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A performance study was conducted for the accident flight largely based on ADS-B data. The airplane departed the Cheyenne Regional Airport/Jerry Olson Field (CYS) from runway 27, about 0744, and the pilot requested a turn to the south. At 0746:39, when the airplane was about 4 miles south of the airport, the pilot radioed to the air traffic control tower and reported an engine failure. About this time, the airplane turned left with a bank angle of about 75° and reversed course back toward the airport. During this turn, the airplane’s pitch reduced from 10° nose high to 10° nose low. At 0746:53, the pilot stated he needed to determine if he could make it back to the airport. The airplane continued towards the airport and at 0747:47 the pilot informed the tower controller that he could not make the airport and he intended to land in a field. The pilot then radioed that the airplane was on fire and asked the controller to send fire-rescue. At 0748:02, the airplane turned right with a bank angle of about 75°, and the airplane’s pitch increased from 0° pitch to about 11° nose high. There were no other recorded transmission from the pilot. Video cameras from a local business captured a portion of the accident sequence which showed the airplane in a near vertical descent with a right roll. The airplane impacted a paved road within a storage facility and a fire destroyed the airplane. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe pilot’s personal logbooks were not available for review. On the pilot’s most recent application for a FAA medical certificate, dated December 7, 2021, the pilot reported accruing 12,267 total hours with 309 hours in the preceding 6 months. According to airplane registration information on file with the FAA, the pilot purchased the airplane on January 29, 2018. Using maintenance logbook entries, the pilot’s estimated time in the accident airplane was about 700 hours. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONThe airplane and engine were last inspected on February 16, 2022, which involved a condition inspection with combined 200- and 400-hour checklists. The pilot was also a mechanic and had performed engine maintenance on March 4, 2021. However, another mechanic performed the most recent inspection according to logbook entries. AIRPORT INFORMATIONThe airplane and engine were last inspected on February 16, 2022, which involved a condition inspection with combined 200- and 400-hour checklists. The pilot was also a mechanic and had performed engine maintenance on March 4, 2021. However, another mechanic performed the most recent inspection according to logbook entries. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe airplane impacted a paved road within a storage facility. The initial impact point was a divot in the concrete. The wreckage path continued on a 084° heading about 15 ft into a storage locker. A postcrash fire consumed a majority of the airplane. The airplane came to rest upright. Due to impact and fire damage, the flight controls were broken in several locations. Examination of the airframe was limited due to the impact and fire damage; however, there were no preimpact anomalies noted with the remaining wreckage that would have precluded normal operations. Cockpit instrumentation was digital and largely thermally damaged. The airplane was equipped with a Dynon D10A Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS), which was impacted separated from the cockpit and not identified in the wreckage. The power lever appeared to be in the flight idle position and the propeller condition lever was forward towards maximum power. The fuel condition lever was found near the low idle position and the fuel shutoff valve was found in the off position; however, this may have been moved by first responders. The engine was separated from the wreckage and sent to Pratt & Whitney Canada’s facility in West Virginia. Under the auspices of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the engine was examined and no anomalies were detected during the examination. There was evidence of rotational scoring of the compressor and turbine components as well as a fracture of the propeller shaft with signatures consistent with torsional overload. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATIONAn autopsy was performed on the pilot by the Regional Medical Examiner, who found the cause of death to be multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected the presence of rosuvaststin, which is a prescription cholesterol medication that the pilot reported on his medical certificate application to the FAA. FIREA review photo documentation by the NTSB Fire & Explosion Specialist could not determine the area of the reported in-flight fire. Due to the intense post impact fire, any signature of inflight fire was likely masked.
The pilot's inability to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while managing a loss of engine power and inflight fire, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing factors to the accident were the loss of engine power and the in-flight fire.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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