Report on the Air Crash

It was also noted that the passenger and cockpit areas were destroyed beyond recognition and there was no way anyone would survive the crash. The seats were broken, all the instruments carried by the passengers were totally damaged, the cargo trunk was charred although some of its fragments were distributed within the cabin and most of the content was scattered outside and in the cockpit area.it was also noted that tie town straps were not present within the debris.

Airport information and weather

FAA records indicated that Lake Tahoe Airport (KTVL) was FAA certified (FAA Airworthiness Certification, 2017). According to NOAA weather report, density altitudes were within limits of operating the PA-31 plane. An interview with the air traffic personnel deduced that they initially informed the pilot of the minimal VFR and inquired if he needed an IFR clearance. The operator also informed the pilot that the weather was bad at the south and that the peaks of the mountains were getting obscured by the clouds. Interviews from some of the witnesses also indicated that the weather was worsening at the time the plane departed from the airport.

Flight information and missionit was ascertained that the pane was on an evening photo session 20 miles away from the airport. The pilot had an option of flying the clients to Burbank, CA on the return trip. The plane took off under visual flight rules (VFR) and visual metrological conditions (VMC) carrying 5 people (the pilot and 4 passengers) and equipment for the photo session.

Aircraft information.The tail number of the plane was N517RL built in 1980 and registered as PA-31-310 (FAA Aircraft Registry, 2017).it was equipped with Lycoming IO-540 reciprocating engines on each wing. The plane had a payload of 6500 pounds and had over 15000 hours of air time. Although its engine had been rebuilt, both were 10 hours to TBO (Time Before Overhaul).according to FAA records, the plane was considered airworthy and had 2hrs left before its 100-hour inspection. Information regarding the plane indicates it was seized by the DEA and most of its paperwork was destroyed during the attack.it was held in custody for two years, auctioned and later sold several times before landing in zonk air. An airworthiness directive compliance had been issued 3 days earlier to probe and change the support brackets for the fuel lines but was not adhered to (FAA Airworthiness Directives, 2017)

Pilot information

Information at zonk air indicated that the pilot was recently hired. The FAA records indicated that the pilot held a commercial multi-engine rating. He had a combined total of 300 hours in the air. 50 hours using light-twin planes and another 15 hours in the Piper 31- 310 aircraft. Also, the pilot had 5 hours of instrument meteorological condition (IMC) flight time. According to data from Zonk Air, the pilot had completed three flights with the company. Before employment at Zonk Air, the pilot worked in Arizona, flying light twins. He received his multi-engine training at Super Pilot (which ceased to be operational) (FAA airmen certification, n.d).

The records also indicated the pilot was in perfect health although his coworkers stated that the pilot always seemed tired (included the tragic day) and was spotted several times sleeping between flights.

Company information and operations

It was determined that the owner of the plane zonk air charters based in Oxnard, California mostly carried out scenic flights in its business. Aside from the mishap plane, FAA records indicated that Zonk air charters also had 2 Cessna 310s manufactured in 1979.the company employed 6 part-time pilots and a secretarial staff.it was discovered that despite zonk air never had any accidents in the past, the FAA referred it with a failure to maintain proper records in accordance CFR 135 operations. Reviews of the records of maintenance were noted to be incomplete and there was no information indicating that the pilots acquired formal flight training from a certified flight safety company.

It was also discovered that zonk air was up for sale and neglected regular maintenance checks and also failed to pay its fuel bills. The company also had no formal flight monitoring system

Final analysisFailure to record and update the log books and to abide by the FAA Air Worthiness Directives contributed to the fatality. According to witness statements, the right engine was already on fire during takeoff, this could be attributed to the poor maintenance on the aircraft even after the pilots informed the owner about the situation on several occasions. Zonk Air owners greed to make quick and plenty of money without prior aircraft inspection and compliance to FAA procedures before takeoff ultimately led to the mishap.

Conclusion

It was determined that the aircraft did not adhere to FAA airworthiness directives to fix the support brackets of the fuel lines. Lack of regular maintenance of the craft led to fuel seeping out of the fuel tank causing fire shortly after takeoff. Poor maintenance on the restraining straps for the cargo further increased the damage by causing it to be hurled within the chassis.this led to a possible shift in the stability of the plane and thus contributing to the accident and consequently the death of all the passengers as the equipment was flung from the cargo area across to the cockpit.

Another contributing factor to the mishap was the fact that the pilot had limited experience with bad weather. He also had bad decision making because he still departed despite being informed that the weather was changing swiftly. The plane had over 280 pounds extra weight indicating the pilot's recklessness in conducting a pre-flight checkup before takeoff.

Negligence of zonk air to develop a proper SMS(Safety management system) to ensure plane occupants safety ultimately contributed to their death.in addition, zonk air and air traffic controllers did not provide the pilot with a flight plan and weather report.

Recommendations It is recommended that zonk air should have a system that manages all the data and ensures that all the log books of the planes and its employees are up to date for proper citations in case of a disaster. The company should definitely have its own maintenance team to ensure regular aircraft inspections and availability in case of emergency checkups. A proper financial management system should be acquired in order to help the company to budget appropriately and spend within its capabilities

Zonk air should employ safety management and risk mitigation systems to ensure all its employees and clients are safe at all times. Also, it should provide pre-flight training to all its newly employed pilots to ascertain that they are airworthy and also provide them with ample resting time after each flight.

References.

FAA airworthiness Certificates Overview. (2017, October 24). Retrieved December 02, 2017, from https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/airworthiness_certification/aw_overview/

FAA Aircraft Registry. (2017, September 26). Retrieved December 02, 2017, from https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/

FAA airmen certification Inquiry. (n.d.). Retrieved December 02, 2017, from https://amsrvs.registry.faa.gov/airmeninquiry/

FAA Airworthiness Directives (ADs). (2017, February 08). Retrieved December 02, 2017, from https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/airworthiness_directives/

US Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Weather Service. (2016, March 30). National aviation Forecast Maps. Retrieved December 02, 2017, from http://www.weather.gov/forecastmap

NTSB investigative procedure. (2017, July 27.Retrieved December 02, 2017, from https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/process/Documents/MajorInvestigationsManual.pd