What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5, 2010, N103GK, a Piper seneca ii (PA-34-200T) crashed in a neighborbood, about one mile south of the Vero Beach municipal airport. An eyewitness stated that the twin engine seneca appeared very low and appeared to be losing altitude. The aircraft crashed in the rear yard of the house behind him. The aircraft struck two trees and was destroyed. The instructor pilot and student were injured and were transferred to the local hospitals by the local authorities. On March 6, 2010, an interview was conducted with the student pilot, privacy data omitted, at the holmes regional hospital, located in melbourne, FL. The interview went as follows: the student stated that he flew four (4) multi-engine flights. The first three were on a seneca I. The first flight consisted of VMC demos, single-engine shut downs, take offs and landings with some maneuvers. The second flight was very much the same except that instructor privacy data omitted demonstrated single-engine shut down and feathering. The third flight (day before the accident) more take offs and landings, single-engine shut downs and feathering. The fourth flight (day of the accident) was preformed on the seneca ii. privacy data omitted Stated that the aircraft was a high performance aircraft, over two hundred (200) horse power. They flew to a practice area, practiced maneuvers, VMC demos, one GPS approuch at runway 11R, and landed on runway 4, at the Vero Beach airport. More take offs and landing, one more landing with both engines operational. Next they performed a single-engine traffic pattern operation, that is , to operate the aircraft with one engine operating. Climb performance reduced eighty (80) percent, climbing 200 ft per minute. The left engine was intentionally throtled down to lowest RPM. Then while banking, climb upwind, left engine was shut down, then turned downwind at 650 ft. the traffic pattern should have been 1,000 ft above ground level. Half way through down wind they were cleared for landing. The instructor felt there was something wrong with the right engine. The instructor he felt they might have over-boosted the right engine. Before turning base, the instructor took control to try to get them to the runway, (runway 4) but crashed into the trees before turning final. privacy data omitted Passed out on impact. On March 11, 2010, this office conducted a telecom interview with privacy data omitted. The following are highlights of some of the comments. A complete statement will be attached to this report once received from the operations inspector who conducted the interview. privacy data omitted Could not remember if he used the fuel selector or throtle mixture to shut off the engine. Could not remember which engine sustained the power-loss. Could not remember which way the aircraft was yawing. On March 16-17, 2010, a representative of teledyne Continental motors and this office conducted an engine continuity inspection to determine any engine malfunction and found no evidence of any abnomalities.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5, 2010, N103GK, A PIPER SENECA II (PA-34-200T) CRASHED IN A NEIGHBORBOOD, ABOUT ONE MILE SOUTH OF THE VERO BEACH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. AN EYEWITNESS STATED THAT THE TWIN ENGINE SENECA APPEARED VERY LOW AND APPEARED TO BE LOSING ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THE REAR YARD OF THE HOUSE BEHIND HIM. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TWO TREES AND WAS DESTROYED. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND STUDENT WERE INJURED AND WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITALS BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES. ON MARCH 6, 2010, AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE STUDENT PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AT THE HOLMES REGIONAL HOSPITAL, LOCATED IN MELBOURNE, FL. THE INTERVIEW WENT AS FOLLOWS: THE STUDENT STATED THAT HE FLEW FOUR (4) MULTI-ENGINE FLIGHTS. THE FIRST THREE WERE ON A SENECA I. THE FIRST FLIGHT CONSISTED OF VMC DEMOS, SINGLE-ENGINE SHUT DOWNS, TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS WITH SOME MANEUVERS. THE SECOND FLIGHT WAS VERY MUCH THE SAME EXCEPT THAT INSTRUCTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEMONSTRATED SINGLE-ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND FEATHERING. THE THIRD FLIGHT (DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT) MORE TAKE OFFS AND LANDINGS, SINGLE-ENGINE SHUT DOWNS AND FEATHERING. THE FOURTH FLIGHT (DAY OF THE ACCIDENT) WAS PREFORMED ON THE SENECA II. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS A HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT, OVER TWO HUNDRED (200) HORSE POWER. THEY FLEW TO A PRACTICE AREA, PRACTICED MANEUVERS, VMC DEMOS, ONE GPS APPROUCH AT RUNWAY 11R, AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 4, AT THE VERO BEACH AIRPORT. MORE TAKE OFFS AND LANDING, ONE MORE LANDING WITH BOTH ENGINES OPERATIONAL. NEXT THEY PERFORMED A SINGLE-ENGINE TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATION, THAT IS , TO OPERATE THE AIRCRAFT WITH ONE ENGINE OPERATING. CLIMB PERFORMANCE REDUCED EIGHTY (80) PERCENT, CLIMBING 200 FT PER MINUTE. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS INTENTIONALLY THROTLED DOWN TO LOWEST RPM. THEN WHILE BANKING, CLIMB UPWIND, LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN, THEN TURNED DOWNWIND AT 650 FT. THE TRAFFIC PATTERN SHOULD HAVE BEEN 1,000 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. HALF WAY THROUGH DOWN WIND THEY WERE CLEARED FOR LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR FELT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE INSTRUCTOR HE FELT THEY MIGHT HAVE OVER-BOOSTED THE RIGHT ENGINE. BEFORE TURNING BASE, THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL TO TRY TO GET THEM TO THE RUNWAY, (RUNWAY 4) BUT CRASHED INTO THE TREES BEFORE TURNING FINAL. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PASSED OUT ON IMPACT. ON MARCH 11, 2010, THIS OFFICE CONDUCTED A TELECOM INTERVIEW WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE FOLLOWING ARE HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME OF THE COMMENTS. A COMPLETE STATEMENT WILL BE ATTACHED TO THIS REPORT ONCE RECEIVED FROM THE OPERATIONS INSPECTOR WHO CONDUCTED THE INTERVIEW. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ COULD NOT REMEMBER IF HE USED THE FUEL SELECTOR OR THROTLE MIXTURE TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. COULD NOT REMEMBER WHICH ENGINE SUSTAINED THE POWER-LOSS. COULD NOT REMEMBER WHICH WAY THE AIRCRAFT WAS YAWING. ON MARCH 16-17, 2010, A REPRESENTATIVE OF TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS AND THIS OFFICE CONDUCTED AN ENGINE CONTINUITY INSPECTION TO DETERMINE ANY ENGINE MALFUNCTION AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY ABNOMALITIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.