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19980322008019A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-31-310 · Southport, NC · March 22, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 22, 1998 · 10:50 local
Place
Southport, NC
Airport
Brunswick County Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N715PM
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL98FA059
Reported as
Piper PA31310
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540A2A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
955 total260 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days
N715PMRegistration cancelled Dec 2, 1999 · Piper PA-31-310S/N 31-493Airframe modelPiper PA-31-310

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Yawed right on climbout then rolled into trees. Indicates lost engine not verified.(.4) the pilot stated he checked the fuel quantity in the inboard fuel tanks, but may have omitted the outboard tanks. He departed and climbed to 100 feet where the airplane yawed right. He believed it was a gust of wind which he attempted to correct. At 200 feet, the pilot stated the airplane rolled hard right and impacted trees in a 60 degree nose down attitude. There was no indication of a left engine discrepancy prior to impact. The right engine was examined with no fuel found in the fuel lines, and trace fuel was found in the fuel servo. According to the accident pilot, he regularly flew between washington-dulles and Southport, north carolina using only the inboard tanks. Because of this, he did not check the location of the fuel selector, nor did he necessarily check the fuel quantity in the outboard fuel tanks. The cockpit fuel selector for the right engine was found in the outboard tank location. The right outboard tank on this airplane was not breached, and contained no fuel. The takeoff checklist states the fuel selector should be on the inboard fuel tank prior to takeoff. (-23) during the takeoff climb the aircraft yawed right followed by a steep right bank from which the pilot could not recover. Investigation revealed that the right engine was not producing power when the aircraft impacted. Investigation also reveased that the right outboard tank was selected, which is prohibited by the aircraft flight manual for takeoffs. The pilot was unable ot maintain control of the aircraft after the engine failure and the aircraft subsequently crashed in a near vertical position in the trees next to the runway.

As the FAA filed it

YAWED RIGHT ON CLIMBOUT THEN ROLLED INTO TREES. INDICATES LOST ENGINE NOT VERIFIED.(.4) THE PILOT STATED HE CHECKED THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE INBOARD FUEL TANKS, BUT MAY HAVE OMITTED THE OUTBOARD TANKS. HE DEPARTED AND CLIMBED TO 100 FEET WHERE THE AIRPLANE YAWED RIGHT. HE BELIEVED IT WAS A GUST OF WIND WHICH HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT. AT 200 FEET, THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE ROLLED HARD RIGHT AND IMPACTED TREES IN A 60 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A LEFT ENGINE DISCREPANCY PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS EXAMINED WITH NO FUEL FOUND IN THE FUEL LINES, AND TRACE FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SERVO. ACCORDING TO THE ACCIDENT PILOT, HE REGULARLY FLEW BETWEEN WASHINGTON-DULLES AND SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA USING ONLY THE INBOARD TANKS. BECAUSE OF THIS, HE DID NOT CHECK THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR, NOR DID HE NECESSARILY CHECK THE FUEL QUANTITY IN THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS. THE COCKPIT FUEL SELECTOR FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS FOUND IN THE OUTBOARD TANK LOCATION. THE RIGHT OUTBOARD TANK ON THIS AIRPLANE WAS NOT BREACHED, AND CONTAINED NO FUEL. THE TAKEOFF CHECKLIST STATES THE FUEL SELECTOR SHOULD BE ON THE INBOARD FUEL TANK PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. (-23) DURING THE TAKEOFF CLIMB THE AIRCRAFT YAWED RIGHT FOLLOWED BY A STEEP RIGHT BANK FROM WHICH THE PILOT COULD NOT RECOVER. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER WHEN THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED. INVESTIGATION ALSO REVEASED THAT THE RIGHT OUTBOARD TANK WAS SELECTED, WHICH IS PROHIBITED BY THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL FOR TAKEOFFS. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE OT MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ENGINE FAILURE AND THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED IN A NEAR VERTICAL POSITION IN THE TREES NEXT TO THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL98FA059Accident · Serious injuriesField investigationFinal reportSouthport, NCThe pilot's failure to follow the preflight checklist, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the significance of the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft following the loss of engine…Mar 22, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N715PM · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19881221067839IForced/Precautionary Landing · Avon Park, FLBackfiring from left engine due to clogged fuel injector on takeoff. Returned and nose gear folded on landing.Dec 21, 1988 · Minor damage