Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-30 near St Ignatius, MT — 2022-08-23

Final reportWPR22LA313
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Date
2022-08-23
Location
St Ignatius, MT, USA
Airport
52S
Aircraft
PIPER PA-30
Registration
N4009Y
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

A partial loss of power during takeoff for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was repositioning the airplane to a local airport for maintenance and an annual inspection. The pilot stated the engine start and runup were normal. During takeoff, shortly after the airplane exited ground effect, the left engine had a partial loss of power. The pilot saw powerlines and, to avoid them, initiated a forced landing on a road just past the end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any mechanical anomalies that existed before the impact. The pilot reported that the airplane sat idle for several years and he last added fuel to the airplane about 2 years before the accident. A fuel sample from the accident airplane was green in color, consistent with the introduction of copper to aviation grade gasoline, which typically presents after the fuel has been stagnant for over 2 years. Although it’s possible that the condition of the fuel affected its combustion properties, further testing of the accident fuel for combustion could not be completed due to the disposal of the recovered fuel.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel quality before takeoff to prevent the accident.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 13 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents13

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