What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Arrived on scene at 1400 EST on Saturday June 1, 2013, at the intersection of pa route 611 bypass (easton road) and route 313 (swamp road) in Doylestown, PA. The wreckage was located on the southeast portion of the intersection in the foliage on the shoulder of route 611.
The fire had been extinguished and injured pilot had been rescued and transported to the burn unit at temple university hospital, philadelphia, PA via helicopter. The tail of the aircraft was hanging from wires above the rest of the wreckage. The wings and pilot seat were on the ground directly below the tail section in an upright position. The nose was located on the ground approximately 10 feet southwest of the wing section, inverted on a storm drain. The fuel tank was located on the ground approximately 12 feet north of the wing section in an upright position. The section of fuselage between the pilot?s seat and the remaining tail section (hanging on wire) was not present. The foliage on which the pieces landed had been burned but the tall reed grasses between the aircraft pieces were intact with no evidence of burning.
The left wing and leading edge of the vertical stab had witness marks from striking electric wires and the right wing had no damage. The rest of the wreckage had burned with evidence of fire on the tail hanging from the wire.
Video aired on nbc channel 10 philadelphia and found on youtube show the aircraft departing runway 23, kdyl Doylestown Airport moments before the accident. In the video both engines are operating but climb performance did not meet the requirements of the voluntary noise abatement procedures used by operators at the airport. Kdyl is .46 NM east of the accident site.
All witnesses reported that after departure the aircraft flew erratically north west bound over route 313. One witness was travelling south east bound on route 313 and saw the aircraft and then watched it in his mirror. He witnessed it make a left turn (southbound) and impact the high voltage electric lines that parallel route 313 and ?explode?.
On Wednesday June 05, 2013 traveled to storage facility in warminster, PA with inspector lee abt. We laid out the wreckage as best as possible and commenced checking aircraft systems.
Rudder and the elevator cables and push rods were broken but we were able to determine control authority to rudder pedals and control stick.
Flaperon control authority was determined intact along with flap adjustments.
Unable to determine throttle to engine control due to melted cables, throttle mechanism on engines did work, throttle levers were found stuck (due to melted cables) in the retarded position with engine master switches in the off position.
Both engines appeared to have good compression.
As the FAA filed it
ARRIVED ON SCENE AT 1400 EST ON SATURDAY JUNE 1, 2013, AT THE INTERSECTION OF PA ROUTE 611 BYPASS (EASTON ROAD) AND ROUTE 313 (SWAMP ROAD) IN DOYLESTOWN, PA. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED ON THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE INTERSECTION IN THE FOLIAGE ON THE SHOULDER OF ROUTE 611.
THE FIRE HAD BEEN EXTINGUISHED AND INJURED PILOT HAD BEEN RESCUED AND TRANSPORTED TO THE BURN UNIT AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, PHILADELPHIA, PA VIA HELICOPTER. THE TAIL OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS HANGING FROM WIRES ABOVE THE REST OF THE WRECKAGE. THE WINGS AND PILOT SEAT WERE ON THE GROUND DIRECTLY BELOW THE TAIL SECTION IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE NOSE WAS LOCATED ON THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE WING SECTION, INVERTED ON A STORM DRAIN. THE FUEL TANK WAS LOCATED ON THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY 12 FEET NORTH OF THE WING SECTION IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. THE SECTION OF FUSELAGE BETWEEN THE PILOT?S SEAT AND THE REMAINING TAIL SECTION (HANGING ON WIRE) WAS NOT PRESENT. THE FOLIAGE ON WHICH THE PIECES LANDED HAD BEEN BURNED BUT THE TALL REED GRASSES BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT PIECES WERE INTACT WITH NO EVIDENCE OF BURNING.
THE LEFT WING AND LEADING EDGE OF THE VERTICAL STAB HAD WITNESS MARKS FROM STRIKING ELECTRIC WIRES AND THE RIGHT WING HAD NO DAMAGE. THE REST OF THE WRECKAGE HAD BURNED WITH EVIDENCE OF FIRE ON THE TAIL HANGING FROM THE WIRE.
VIDEO AIRED ON NBC CHANNEL 10 PHILADELPHIA AND FOUND ON YOUTUBE SHOW THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING RUNWAY 23, KDYL DOYLESTOWN AIRPORT MOMENTS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. IN THE VIDEO BOTH ENGINES ARE OPERATING BUT CLIMB PERFORMANCE DID NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE VOLUNTARY NOISE ABATEMENT PROCEDURES USED BY OPERATORS AT THE AIRPORT. KDYL IS .46 NM EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE.
ALL WITNESSES REPORTED THAT AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRCRAFT FLEW ERRATICALLY NORTH WEST BOUND OVER ROUTE 313. ONE WITNESS WAS TRAVELLING SOUTH EAST BOUND ON ROUTE 313 AND SAW THE AIRCRAFT AND THEN WATCHED IT IN HIS MIRROR. HE WITNESSED IT MAKE A LEFT TURN (SOUTHBOUND) AND IMPACT THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC LINES THAT PARALLEL ROUTE 313 AND ?EXPLODE?.
ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 05, 2013 TRAVELED TO STORAGE FACILITY IN WARMINSTER, PA WITH INSPECTOR LEE ABT. WE LAID OUT THE WRECKAGE AS BEST AS POSSIBLE AND COMMENCED CHECKING AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
RUDDER AND THE ELEVATOR CABLES AND PUSH RODS WERE BROKEN BUT WE WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE CONTROL AUTHORITY TO RUDDER PEDALS AND CONTROL STICK.
FLAPERON CONTROL AUTHORITY WAS DETERMINED INTACT ALONG WITH FLAP ADJUSTMENTS.
UNABLE TO DETERMINE THROTTLE TO ENGINE CONTROL DUE TO MELTED CABLES, THROTTLE MECHANISM ON ENGINES DID WORK, THROTTLE LEVERS WERE FOUND STUCK (DUE TO MELTED CABLES) IN THE RETARDED POSITION WITH ENGINE MASTER SWITCHES IN THE OFF POSITION.
BOTH ENGINES APPEARED TO HAVE GOOD COMPRESSION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.