What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 23, 2013, about 1040 local time, a Piper PA-23 airplane, N3162P, sustained substantial damaged during a tale off at Tucson airport (tus), Tucson, Arizona. The aircraft crashed after taking off rotation on runway 11R. The pilot sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized for 3 days. The flight was operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, winds were 12KT at 120 and a flight plan was not filed.
According to the pilot, the airplane was a low wing twin engine configuration with tri-cycle landing gear. Prior to the flight he conducted a preflight inspection prior to departing tus.
After take-off rotation while climbing, at 300 feet AGL the pilot said he was being blown left by crosswinds. The aircraft lost altitude, rolled to the left and in patched runway 11L. The aircraft hit vertically left wing first followed by the nose and right wing and came to rest approximately 50 feet east of runaways 11L on its belly with the nose gear collapsed. The pilot was assisted by first responders to exit the aircraft normally.
The pilot reported a total flight experience of hours, including about 15 hours in the accident airplane make and model. Automated weather observations from surrounding airports about the time of the accident included winds 14KT at 120; clear skies; temperatures about 24 degrees c.
The pilot stated he had no mechanical failure and all airplane systems were operating normal though out the flight. Witnesses reported watching the aircraft taking off and hearing back firing and engine missing noise. During and inspection of the airplane the left engine did not have any fuel in the fuel strainer or the carburetor. The right engine had fuel though out the fuel system. Both engine controls were full pitch at full power and full rich. Both fuel master switches were in the on position and the both electric fuel pumps were in the off position. Upon inspection of the fuel taken from both left and right wing tanks, the fuel was found to be clear and bright. No other mechanical failures were noted during the inspection.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 23, 2013, ABOUT 1040 LOCAL TIME, A PIPER PA-23 AIRPLANE, N3162P, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED DURING A TALE OFF AT TUCSON AIRPORT (TUS), TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AFTER TAKING OFF ROTATION ON RUNWAY 11R. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR 3 DAYS. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, WINDS WERE 12KT AT 120 AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE WAS A LOW WING TWIN ENGINE CONFIGURATION WITH TRI-CYCLE LANDING GEAR. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT HE CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION PRIOR TO DEPARTING TUS.
AFTER TAKE-OFF ROTATION WHILE CLIMBING, AT 300 FEET AGL THE PILOT SAID HE WAS BEING BLOWN LEFT BY CROSSWINDS. THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALTITUDE, ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND IN PATCHED RUNWAY 11L. THE AIRCRAFT HIT VERTICALLY LEFT WING FIRST FOLLOWED BY THE NOSE AND RIGHT WING AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET EAST OF RUNAWAYS 11L ON ITS BELLY WITH THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PILOT WAS ASSISTED BY FIRST RESPONDERS TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT NORMALLY.
THE PILOT REPORTED A TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE OF HOURS, INCLUDING ABOUT 15 HOURS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL. AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATIONS FROM SURROUNDING AIRPORTS ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INCLUDED WINDS 14KT AT 120; CLEAR SKIES; TEMPERATURES ABOUT 24 DEGREES C.
THE PILOT STATED HE HAD NO MECHANICAL FAILURE AND ALL AIRPLANE SYSTEMS WERE OPERATING NORMAL THOUGH OUT THE FLIGHT. WITNESSES REPORTED WATCHING THE AIRCRAFT TAKING OFF AND HEARING BACK FIRING AND ENGINE MISSING NOISE. DURING AND INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE THE LEFT ENGINE DID NOT HAVE ANY FUEL IN THE FUEL STRAINER OR THE CARBURETOR. THE RIGHT ENGINE HAD FUEL THOUGH OUT THE FUEL SYSTEM. BOTH ENGINE CONTROLS WERE FULL PITCH AT FULL POWER AND FULL RICH. BOTH FUEL MASTER SWITCHES WERE IN THE ON POSITION AND THE BOTH ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS WERE IN THE OFF POSITION. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TAKEN FROM BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WING TANKS, THE FUEL WAS FOUND TO BE CLEAR AND BRIGHT. NO OTHER MECHANICAL FAILURES WERE NOTED DURING THE INSPECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.