20140630009249I

ON JUNE 30, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:45 LOCAL TIME, N9149P, A MOONEY M-20-M AIRCRAFT, WITH SERIAL NUMBER 27-0108, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT FAILED TO DEVELOP TAKEOFF POWER, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, WHILE DEPARTING RUNWAY 23 AT THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT, LOCATED IN WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA.

THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE 4,225 FOOT BY 100 FOOT ASPHALT RUNWAY, ON A MAINTENANCE/TEST FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE INSTALLATION OF A GARMIN GTN750 MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. OWNER OF THE AVIONICS SHOP WAS ONBOARD SITTING IN THE REAR SEAT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE TWO PILOTS AND ONE PASSENGER ONBOARD.

THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO JUSTACK AVIATION, INC WHICH IS OWNED BY THE TWO PILOTS. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HOLDS A UNITED STATES COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND WAS ISSUED A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE ON AUGUST 16, 2013.

DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THIS FLIGHT. WEATHER REPORTED AT KLAF (LAFAYETTE, INDIANA) AT 17:54 LOCAL TIME: MOSTLY CLOUDY, WIND 200 DEGREES @ 9 MPH, 82 DEGREES, HEAT INDEX 87 DEGREES, DEW POINT 74 DEGREES, ALTIMETER 29.81, VISIBILITY 7 MILES.

THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY BOARD WERE NOTIFIED AND WILL HAVE LIMITED PARTICIPATION.

THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND CO-OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT, REPORTS THAT HIS PARTNER, A PRIVATE PILOT, WAS AT THE CONTROLS DURING THE TAKEOFF AND THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE MAKING FULL POWER. HE STATES THAT ACCELERATION WAS SLOW BUT THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO A HOT HUMID DAY WITH THREE SOULS ONBOARD. UPON ROTATION THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HIS RATE OF CLIMB AND SLOW AIRSPEED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL, ASKED THAT HIS PARTNER CALL OUT HIS AIRSPEED AND NOT TO ALLOW IT TO GO BELOW 80 KNOTS. THE DECISION TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WAS MADE AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET WITH A SUCCESSFUL LANDING ON RUNWAY 10. THIS RUNWAY IS 6,600 FOOT BY 150 FOOT ASPHALT RUNWAY. TOUCHDOWN WAS MADE JUST EAST OF THE INTERSECTING RUNWAYS THAT ALLOWED FOR APPROXIMATELY 1,800 FEET FOR STOPPING.

TIRE MARKS ON THE RUNWAY SHOW THAT MAXIMUM BRAKING WAS USED WITH THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAVEMENT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, TRAVELING THROUGH THE RUNWAY END IDENTIFYING LIGHTS WITH THE FLAPS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING TWO OF THE LIGHTS. MINOR DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE FLAPS. THE RUNWAY LIGHTS HAD BEEN REPLACED PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE FAA.

ON JULY 1, 2014, INSPECTORS KEEN AND NELSON CONDUCTED AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE OWNER AND PERSONNEL FROM LAFAYETTE AVIATION. THE ENGINE WAS RUN AT DIFFERENT POWER SETTINGS AND FOUND TO OPERATE NORMALLY.

A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS SHOWED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON MARCH 1, 2014 WITH NO ISSUES BEING NOTED IN THE LOGBOOK. THE OWNER REPORTS THAT THE PLANE HAD NOT FLOWN MUCH SINCE THE ANNUAL AND NO ENGINE PROBLEMS HAD BEEN OBSERVED. THEY HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TURBO-CHARGER OR WASTE GATE SYSTEMS; HOWEVER THE OWNER NOW BELIEVES THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL POSSIBLY DUE TO A TURBO-CHARGER ISSUE. HE BELIEVES THEY WERE GETTING 60 TO 70 PERCENT POWER BUT THIS COULD NOT BE CONFIRMED.

IT?S THE OPINION OF THIS INSPECTOR THAT THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE DECISION OF THE PILOTS TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF WITH AN ENGINE NOT DEVELOPING FULL TAKEOFF/CLIMB POWER. THE REASON FOR THE PARTIAL POWER LOSS IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.