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20140421008799A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Fort Mohave, AZ · April 21, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 21, 2014 · 20:45 local
Place
Fort Mohave, AZ
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7880Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR14LA169
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
9,000 total1,000 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N7880YRegistration cancelled Aug 20, 2014 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-965 · Built 1965Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine modelLycoming IO-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 04/21/14 at approximately 2045 hours, a Piper PA-30 twin commanche airplane impacted terrain approximately one half mile north of the sun valley airport near Fort Mohave, Arizona. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot and sole occupant, sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene by fire department personnel.

The pilotprivacy data omitted later reported that he had been attempting to land at sun valley airport and had elected to go around after landing too FAR down the runway. The pilot reported that the aircraft initially began to climb and that shortly thereafter both engines quit and he glided to a landing in the desert and the aircraft was damaged upon landing.

The owner removed the aircraft from the crash site with the permission of the NTSB iic.

An investigation was conducted on 04/22/14 and the aircraft was found to be relatively intact with damage consistent with what the pilot had reported and what was found in the area where the pilot stated the aircraft had crashed.

During the interview of the pilot, it was discovered that the pilot had been improperly using the propeller governor controls, using them as throttle controls, with the throttle controls in the full forward position for the entire time of the flight. The pilot had pulled both prop controls to full feather upon touching down on the runway and then abruptly advanced them to initiate the go-around. In essence, the pilot had utilized the throttle and prop controls in a direct swap of how they should have been used.

During further interview with the pilot, it was discovered that he had an extensive amount of flight time, flying a Beechcraft baron. The Beechcraft baron is configured in a fashion where the propeller and throttle controls are the exact opposite of the Piper commanche.

The aircraft was found to have full flight and engine control continuity and the fuel system appeared to have a sufficient quantity of fuel.

The fuel tanks were sumped and no contaminants were found to be present in the drained fuel.

Both engines were visually inspected with no noted anomalies, other than crash related damage.

Report to be amended pending further interview with the pilot.

As the FAA filed it

ON 04/21/14 AT APPROXIMATELY 2045 HOURS, A PIPER PA-30 TWIN COMMANCHE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY ONE HALF MILE NORTH OF THE SUN VALLEY AIRPORT NEAR FORT MOHAVE, ARIZONA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT, SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND WAS TREATED AT THE SCENE BY FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL.

THE PILOT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LATER REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT SUN VALLEY AIRPORT AND HAD ELECTED TO GO AROUND AFTER LANDING TOO FAR DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY BEGAN TO CLIMB AND THAT SHORTLY THEREAFTER BOTH ENGINES QUIT AND HE GLIDED TO A LANDING IN THE DESERT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED UPON LANDING.

THE OWNER REMOVED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE CRASH SITE WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE NTSB IIC.

AN INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED ON 04/22/14 AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO BE RELATIVELY INTACT WITH DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE PILOT HAD REPORTED AND WHAT WAS FOUND IN THE AREA WHERE THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED.

DURING THE INTERVIEW OF THE PILOT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY USING THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR CONTROLS, USING THEM AS THROTTLE CONTROLS, WITH THE THROTTLE CONTROLS IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION FOR THE ENTIRE TIME OF THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT HAD PULLED BOTH PROP CONTROLS TO FULL FEATHER UPON TOUCHING DOWN ON THE RUNWAY AND THEN ABRUPTLY ADVANCED THEM TO INITIATE THE GO-AROUND. IN ESSENCE, THE PILOT HAD UTILIZED THE THROTTLE AND PROP CONTROLS IN A DIRECT SWAP OF HOW THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED.

DURING FURTHER INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF FLIGHT TIME, FLYING A BEECHCRAFT BARON. THE BEECHCRAFT BARON IS CONFIGURED IN A FASHION WHERE THE PROPELLER AND THROTTLE CONTROLS ARE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE PIPER COMMANCHE.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND TO HAVE FULL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY AND THE FUEL SYSTEM APPEARED TO HAVE A SUFFICIENT QUANTITY OF FUEL.

THE FUEL TANKS WERE SUMPED AND NO CONTAMINANTS WERE FOUND TO BE PRESENT IN THE DRAINED FUEL.

BOTH ENGINES WERE VISUALLY INSPECTED WITH NO NOTED ANOMALIES, OTHER THAN CRASH RELATED DAMAGE.

REPORT TO BE AMENDED PENDING FURTHER INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR14LA169Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBullhead City, AZThe pilot's mismanagement of the throttle and propeller controls during the attempted go-around after encountering turbulence, which resulted in his failure to maintain adequate airspeed and climb rate and a subsequent forced landing and impact with terrain.…Apr 21, 2014 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7880Y · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20001111022079ILevel Off Touchdown · Corona, CA(-23)Attached narrative sheetNov 11, 2000 · Minor damageIncident 19951011046429INormal Cruise · Lancaster, CANarrative: N7880Y had departed corona airport in corona, CA earlier in the day on a flight to hesperia, CA, fresno, CA and return to corona, CA the same day. A/c was topped with fuel prior to departing corona, but no fuel was added during the flight. On the…Oct 11, 1995 · Minor damage