What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 25, 2013, at approximately 8:45 am local time, a Piper PA-30 (twin comanche) N8306Y, operated by the pilot , lost control while returning to the airport following a left engine failure. The flight was conducted as a personal business flight from the tradewind airport (ktdw) in Amarillo, Texas, to the lubbock preston smith international airport (klbb), in lubbock, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with some isolated thunderstorms and rain showers in the vicinity. The flight was conducted under VFR part 91 flight rules but no flight plan was filed. The pilot was the sole occupant onboard and was fatally injured in the accident which destroyed the aircraft. The pilot held an FAA issued private pilot airman certificate with airplane single and multiengine land class ratings. The pilot departed the tradewind airport runway 17 at approximately 8:33 am, contacted Amarillo approach control, and requested flight following. Shortly afterwards the pilot reported engine trouble and was returning to the tradewind airport. The accident occurred approximately 0.8 miles north northeast of runway 17 as the aircraft was in a right turn midway between the base leg and final approach.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 25, 2013, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:45 AM LOCAL TIME, A PIPER PA-30 (TWIN COMANCHE) N8306Y, OPERATED BY THE PILOT , LOST CONTROL WHILE RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT FOLLOWING A LEFT ENGINE FAILURE. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AS A PERSONAL BUSINESS FLIGHT FROM THE TRADEWIND AIRPORT (KTDW) IN AMARILLO, TEXAS, TO THE LUBBOCK PRESTON SMITH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLBB), IN LUBBOCK, TEXAS. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED WITH SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VFR PART 91 FLIGHT RULES BUT NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ONBOARD AND WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT WHICH DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT HELD AN FAA ISSUED PRIVATE PILOT AIRMAN CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE SINGLE AND MULTIENGINE LAND CLASS RATINGS. THE PILOT DEPARTED THE TRADEWIND AIRPORT RUNWAY 17 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:33 AM, CONTACTED AMARILLO APPROACH CONTROL, AND REQUESTED FLIGHT FOLLOWING. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS THE PILOT REPORTED ENGINE TROUBLE AND WAS RETURNING TO THE TRADEWIND AIRPORT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 0.8 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF RUNWAY 17 AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A RIGHT TURN MIDWAY BETWEEN THE BASE LEG AND FINAL APPROACH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.