20070108000529A

(-23) On January 8, 2007 at 1445 gmt a Piper aero star, PA-60-601P, N720Z crashed immediately after takeoff from runway 25 at the kjhw airport with an IFR flight plan to kbuf. The current conditions were IMC with snow and rain. The aircraft came to rest inside the airport perimeter fence about 800 feet north west of the approach end of runway 7. The pilot was the only person onboard and was fatally injured. When I arrived on the scene I found that the site had been secured and nothing was disturbed. Myself and another inspector from this office took pictures of the scene. The pilot was still belted in his seat. The Chautauqua County coroner arrived and removed the remains. The airport operator covered the wreckage as best as possible as snow was forecasted for the area. The town of ellicott police secured the gate to the crash area which was located inside the airport fence. On Tuesday morning 1/9/2007 the NTSB, a Piper aircraft accident investigator, and a Lycoming engine investigator were on scene. We went back out to the crash site to continue with the investigation. All parties took more pictures and documented the area including the debris field size and direction. It was determined that the wreckage needed to be moved out of the elements as the area was a marsh with two to four inches of standing water and more snow was forecasted. The NTSB investigator arranged for a local contractor, who was working on the airport, to move the wreckage to a hangar that was volunteered by a local aircraft owner. On Tuesday afternoon the wreckage was moved to this hangar and the hangar was secured for the night. On Wednesday 1/10/2007, all the parties involved met at the hangar and started to inventory the wreckage. Both engines were broken off their mounts from the firewall during the impact. The engines were examined and the accessories were removed including the propellers to verify rotation. Both engines were able to be rotated and had fuel present to the fuel injectors. The spark plugs were examined and found to be serviceable. The oil screens were inspected and left engine was normal while the right engine showed signs of bearing material. It was determined that the amount of bearing wear did not affect the performance of the engine this day. Both engine throttle plates were found in the closed (idle) position. The ignition systems of both engines were found to be functioning except that the left engine right magneto had broken off of the engine on impact and could not be located as of this date. The airframe examination revealed that the engine control quadrant had the mixtures selected in the full rich position, the propeller levers full forward in low pitch, and the throttles were in the idle position which is confirmed by the engine throttle plates being in the closed position. The fuel system control valves were located and found to be damaged but the valve position could be verified. The Piper investigator stated the valve positions as follows: right fuel system cross feed valve open, shut off valve closed and the left fuel system cross feed valve open and shut off valve open. The flight controls were located and continuity as FAR as the push pull tubes and bellcranks are concerned was confirmed. The landing gear was retracted as were the flaps at the time of impact.