# Accident 20140421008799A: Piper PA-30, Fort Mohave, AZ, April 21, 2014 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 21, 2014, 20:45 local time - Place: Fort Mohave, AZ - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.0009° N, 114.5601° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0009&lon=-114.5601&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7880Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7880Y-2014-08-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 9,000 total, 1,000 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR14LA169](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA169) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140421008799A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 WPR14LA169](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14LA169), Apr 21, 2014: Piper PA30 - NO Series (N7880Y), Bullhead City, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The 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… ## Other reports on N7880Y (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20001111022079I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001111022079I), Nov 11, 2000: Piper PA30 (N7880Y), Corona, CA, Minor damage. (-23)Attached narrative sheet - [Incident 19951011046429I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951011046429I), Oct 11, 1995: Piper PA30 (N7880Y), Lancaster, CA, Minor damage. Narrative: 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.… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.