# Accident 20180308009639A: Piper PA-31P, Laredo, TX, March 8, 2018 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 8, 2018, 10:36 local time - Place: Laredo, TX - Airport: Laredo International Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Operator: 5ROA - Location: 27.5608° N, 99.4575° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.5608&lon=-99.4575&mi=10 - Aircraft: N82605, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N82605-2021-10-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31P (registry code 7103120, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TIGO-541SER (registry code 41539, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tigo-541ser) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31P - Reported engine: LYCOMING TIGO-541SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN18FA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18FA116) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180308009639A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON MARCH 8, 2018, PIPER NAVAJO N82605, WAS DEPARTING FROM RUNWAY 18R OUT OF LAREDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KLRD) TO A SOUTHEAST PRACTICE AREA. ON CLIMBOUT, THE ATC TOWER NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PILOT ON BOARD WAS NOTIFIED AND THE RESPONSE RECEIVED WAS "ROGER THAT, WE ARE GOING TO FIX THAT." THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE LEFT PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 18L, THE OTHER PARALLEL RUNWAY. WHEN ASKED IF N82605 NEEDED ASSISTANCE, THE PILOT ANSWERED "NOT YET". AIRPORT SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT TURNING LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 18L, WHEN IT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INSIDE THE AIRPORT PROPERTY, APPROXIMATELY 900' FROM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A NEARLY VERTICAL ATTITUDE, NOSE DOWN, WITH THE LEFT WING AND ENGINE IMPACTING FIRST ON A LEFT ROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT EXPLODED ON IMPACT AND THE WRECKAGE SCENE REMAINED FAIRLY CONTAINED. THERE WERE TWO FATALITIES. THE BODIES WERE REMOVED PRIOR TO THE FAA IIC'S ARRIVAL. PICTURES WERE TAKEN BEFORE AND AFTER THE REMOVAL. ON ARRIVAL, THE INSPECTORS ON SCENE NOTED THE INITIAL IMPACT LEFT A GROUND SCAR/WING IMPRINTS ALONG WITH THE SHEARED PROPELLER ASSEMBLIES IN PLACE. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE RIGHT PROPELLER ASSEMBLY HAD SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH HIGH-POWER PRODUCTION, INCLUDING A DEEP GOUGE CREATED BY A TURNING BLADE, WHILE THE LEFT PROPELLER ASSEMBLY HAD NO ROTATIONAL SCARRING. THE REST OF THE WRECKAGE GOT DRAGGED CLOSER TO THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 18L. THE TWO ENGINES WERE NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME, HAVING BEEN DRAGGED FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT TO THEIR FINAL RESTING PLACE. THE THROTTLE QUADRANT WAS LOCATED BUT THE DAMAGE WAS TOO SEVERE TO DETERMINE THE POSITION OF THE LINKAGES AND LEVERS. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A HIGH POSSIBILITY THAT THE AIRCRAFT AND AIRMEN LOGBOOKS WERE DESTROYED DURING THE POST-CRASH FIRE. HOWEVER, A LOCAL AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE FACILITY CONDUCTED RECENT MAINTENANCE AND WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION TO INCLUDE SERIAL NUMBERS FOR THE ENGINES FOR IDENTIFICATION AND ANNUAL INSPECTION DOCUMENTATION. IT WAS NOTED DURING INTERVIEWS WITH WITNESSES AND ATC THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEVELOPING SMOKE OUT OF THE LEFT ENGINE DURING EARLY CLIMBOUT. MOST WITNESSES THAT CAME FORWARD DESCRIBED DARK BLACK SMOKE. THE PICTURES AND VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM THE AIRPORT SUGGESTS WHITE SMOKE, WHICH DIMINISHED AROUND MIDFIELD ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 18L. HOWEVER A WITNESS THAT WAS ON BOARD A DHS/CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL HELICOPTER STATED IT WAS DARK SMOKE INITIALLY THEN TURNED CLOSER TO A LIGHT GRAY. THE INVESTIGATION WAS PARTY TO THE NTSB, FAA, PIPER, AND LYCOMING. THE LYCOMING SENIOR AIR SAFETY INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS ON ITS WAY TO THE FEATHERED POSITION, BUT THAT IT WASN'T ALL THE WAY THERE. IT WAS ALSO NOTED BY SOME OF THE WITNESSES THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOW AND GETTING SLOWER. ONE OF THE FOCUSES OF THE INVESTIGATION WAS DETERMINING IF A V-BAND CLAMP HAD FAILED, BUT ALL THE CLAMPS WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AND INTACT. IT WAS DECIDED BY THE INVESTIGATIVE TEAM TO PERFORM AN ENGINE TEARDOWN, BUT ULTIMATELY, THEY WERE UNABLE TO DISCOVER ANY ISSUES, LEADING TO A CONCLUSION THAT WHATEVER CAUSED THE SMOKE WAS DESTROYED DURING THE POST-CRASH FIRE. ## 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 CEN18FA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18FA116), Mar 8, 2018: Piper PA 31P (N82605), Laredo, TX, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: An engine malfunction for undetermined reasons and the subsequent loss of control, due to the pilot's improper decision to maneuver the airplane below minimum controllable airspeed and his improper… 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.