# Accident 20110921022539A: Piper PA-23-250, Truckee, CA, September 21, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 21, 2011, 09:22 local time
- Place: Truckee, CA
- Airport: Truckee-Tahoe
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.3194° N, 120.1422° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.3194&lon=-120.1422&mi=10
- Aircraft: N62792, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N62792-2015-05-19) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23-250
- Reported engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 500 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR11LA460](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA460) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110921022539A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 AT APPROXIMATELY 09:22 AM PST, N62792 EXPERIENCED AN IMPACT WITH TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 28, TRUCKEE-TAHOE AIRPORT, TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SCENE REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT APPROXIMATELY 3500' FROM THE APPROACH END OF RWY 28, LEFT WING, NOSE LOW. THE INITIAL CONTACT POINT WAS IN THE DIRT AREA BETWEEN THE TAXIWAY AND THE AIRCRAFT PARKING AREA. AFTER CONTACT WITH THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT CART WHEELED, BREAKING THE LEFT WING OFF AND COMING TO REST UPRIGHT APPROXIMATELY 250' FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY THE POST ACCIDENT FIRE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXTRICATE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE BUT SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED BY MEDICAL HELICOPTER TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL.FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE RIGHT ENGINE PROPELLER APPEARED TO BE IN THE FEATHERED POSITION WITH LITTLE ROTATIONAL DAMAGE. THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER SHOWED LITTLE ROTATIONAL DAMAGE WITH THE BLADES BEING BENT STRAIGHT BACKWARDS. NO CURLING OF ANY OF THE BLADES WAS NOTED. THE FIRE CONSUMED THE COCK PIT AREA AND MANY COMPONENTS COLLAPSED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. INTERVIEWS WITH WITNESSES ALL INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE DID NOT SOUND NORMAL. A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC STATED THE LEFT ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH PRIOR TO THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING. AN INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED WITH THE PILOT ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 WHO STATED THE RUNUP WAS NORMAL BUT ON TAKE OFF, APPROXIMATELY 50'AGL THE PILOT THINKS THE LEFT PROPELLER WENT INTO FEATHER. HE FURTHER STATED HE THOUGHT HE THEN RETARDED BOTH ENGINE THROTTLES AT THAT TIME AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO TURN LEFT. THE 64 YEAR OLD PILOT ADDITIONALLY STATED HE THOUGHT HIS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS NOT DUE FOR RENEWAL UNTIL JUNE OF NEXT YEAR (2012). THE PILOTS CURRENT THIRD CLASS MEDICAL DATE IS JUNE 29, 2009

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR11LA460](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA460), Sep 21, 2011: Piper PA23 (N62792), Truckee, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain an airspeed at or above the airplane's minimum controllable airspeed, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident was the partial loss…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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