What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5, 2020, Piper aircraft (N335W), ser. No. 27-3017, departed from vuj at approximately 1415 local time using runway 4R. The aircraft received a full load of fuel prior to the flight. There were 2 individuals onboard the aircraft; both were FAA certificated pilots. The pilot in charge (PIC) was sitting in the right seat, giving instruction to the pilot sitting in the left seat. The local area had received several days of rain prior to the event making the ground water-soaked. The crew reported that after rotation and at approximately 100 feet above the ground, they experienced a dual engine failure. The aircraft made a slight turn to the east clearing a small grove of trees and then to the west where the aircraft descended and impacted the ground with the landing gear in the down position. The point of impact and where the aircraft came to rest were both on airport property within its perimeter fencing.
The aircraft touched down in a typical landing configuration. The left main landing gear wheel assembly struck a small burm, snapping the left main strut off, impacting the lower surface of the left flap. The left wing then contacted the ground as the aircraft continued in a forward direction. Approximately 60 feet from the point of impact, the nose gear collapsed into the nose wheel well and the aircraft began to rotate to the left while continuing to slide. Approximately 200 feet from the initial impact, the aircraft came to rest in an upright position facing runway 4R. No injuries were reported. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Both pilots provided written, signed statements recalling the event. The investigation revealed that the pre-flight checklist was not correctly followed, specifically, the electric fuel pumps (boost pumps) were not turned on before take-off.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5, 2020, PIPER AIRCRAFT (N335W), SER. NO. 27-3017, DEPARTED FROM VUJ AT APPROXIMATELY 1415 LOCAL TIME USING RUNWAY 4R. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED A FULL LOAD OF FUEL PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT. THERE WERE 2 INDIVIDUALS ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT; BOTH WERE FAA CERTIFICATED PILOTS. THE PILOT IN CHARGE (PIC) WAS SITTING IN THE RIGHT SEAT, GIVING INSTRUCTION TO THE PILOT SITTING IN THE LEFT SEAT. THE LOCAL AREA HAD RECEIVED SEVERAL DAYS OF RAIN PRIOR TO THE EVENT MAKING THE GROUND WATER-SOAKED. THE CREW REPORTED THAT AFTER ROTATION AND AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THEY EXPERIENCED A DUAL ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SLIGHT TURN TO THE EAST CLEARING A SMALL GROVE OF TREES AND THEN TO THE WEST WHERE THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AND IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE POINT OF IMPACT AND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WERE BOTH ON AIRPORT PROPERTY WITHIN ITS PERIMETER FENCING.
THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN A TYPICAL LANDING CONFIGURATION. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY STRUCK A SMALL BURM, SNAPPING THE LEFT MAIN STRUT OFF, IMPACTING THE LOWER SURFACE OF THE LEFT FLAP. THE LEFT WING THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN A FORWARD DIRECTION. APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED INTO THE NOSE WHEEL WELL AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO ROTATE TO THE LEFT WHILE CONTINUING TO SLIDE. APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT, THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION FACING RUNWAY 4R. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.
BOTH PILOTS PROVIDED WRITTEN, SIGNED STATEMENTS RECALLING THE EVENT. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST WAS NOT CORRECTLY FOLLOWED, SPECIFICALLY, THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS (BOOST PUMPS) WERE NOT TURNED ON BEFORE TAKE-OFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.