What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 2, 2020, N14181, a Piper aztec (PA-23-250) conducting a maintenance test flight (14 CFR part 91) crashed into the san antonio channel north of isla grande airport's (sig/tjig) runway 9 shortly after departure. There were three occupants aboard the airplane. The pilot was seating at seat #1, the occupant of seat #2 was an a & p mechanic who also holds a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating, and the occupant of seat #4 was a mechanic apprentice. Only the occupant of seat #2 survived the event. He suffered severe injuries.
N14181 is owned by privacy data omitted and the aircraft is listed on the D085 paragraph of privacy data omitted. The purpose of the flight on June 2, 2020 was to test and calibrate new avionics equipment that had been installed on N14181. That morning, the director of maintenance (dom) of privacy data omitted lubricated the prop cables of N14181 at the pilot's request. The seat #2 occupant was present at the time. Later that morning the pilot arrived and requested to fill to maximum capacity the inboard tanks of the airplane. He was present during the fueling procedure. privacy data omitted San Juan dispatched 47.5 gallons of 100LL avgas to N14181. According to statements, the pilot checked the condition of the fuel after completion of the procedure.
N14181 was prepared for departure shortly after 12:00 pm. The seat #2 occupant recalls that the left engine quitted at idle shortly before taxiing for departure. The pilot was able to start it and they taxied through bravo taxiway to runway 9. The seat #2 occupant recalls that the pilot performed an engine run-up before lining up for departure. N14181 was cleared for departure and the pilot lined the airplane on runway 9. Upon applying takeoff power, the airplane yawed to the left and the pilot decided to abort the takeoff. He contacted the tower to inform that they were discontinuing the takeoff. When asked if they required any assistance, the pilot stated that he thought he had a "flat tire". While exiting the runway and taxiing to the ramp, the left engine quitted again. Numerous eyewitnesses observed this fact. The pilot managed to re-start the left engine and stopped at the former signature FBO ramp.
At the ramp, the pilot requested that the seat #2 occupant deplaned with both engines running and checked the condition of the main landing gear struts. The seat #2 occupant recalls that the pilot thought that they had a collapsed left main landing gear strut. Upon visual examination, the seat #2 occupant saw the left main landing gear strut exhibited more extension than the right one. They decided to taxi one more time for departure. The time was approximately 1:33 pm.
Upon takeoff power application on this second attempt, the airplane once again yawed to the left. Instead of aborting, the seat #2 occupant recalls the pilot continuing the takeoff roll with considerable flight control deflections. After rotation, the airplane failed to gain altitude and airspeed. The seat #2 occupant understands that there was an issue with the left engine. He recalls that the pilot attempted to retract the landing gear. N14181 started to veer left of the runway 9 extended centerline. When abeam the departure end of runway 9 and at approximately 150 to 200 feet AGL, the airplane entered a steep left turn and a nosedive into the san antonio channel. The airplane hit a sailboat mast shortly before coming in contact with the water.
The seat #2 occupant recalls very little before and immediately after the impact. He understands that he lost consciousness for a span of time. Upon waking up, the cabin was already submerged and the airplane was quickly sinking into the channel. He managed to unbuckle his seat belt and struggled to open the main cabin door. He managed to get it open after several attempts and exited the airplane shortly before it completely sank to a depth of approximately 40'.
As the FAA filed it
ON THE AFTERNOON OF TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020, N14181, A PIPER AZTEC (PA-23-250) CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT (14 CFR PART 91) CRASHED INTO THE SAN ANTONIO CHANNEL NORTH OF ISLA GRANDE AIRPORT'S (SIG/TJIG) RUNWAY 9 SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE. THERE WERE THREE OCCUPANTS ABOARD THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT WAS SEATING AT SEAT #1, THE OCCUPANT OF SEAT #2 WAS AN A & P MECHANIC WHO ALSO HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AN AIRPLANE SINGLE ENGINE LAND RATING, AND THE OCCUPANT OF SEAT #4 WAS A MECHANIC APPRENTICE. ONLY THE OCCUPANT OF SEAT #2 SURVIVED THE EVENT. HE SUFFERED SEVERE INJURIES.
N14181 IS OWNED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THE AIRCRAFT IS LISTED ON THE D085 PARAGRAPH OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT ON JUNE 2, 2020 WAS TO TEST AND CALIBRATE NEW AVIONICS EQUIPMENT THAT HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON N14181. THAT MORNING, THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE (DOM) OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LUBRICATED THE PROP CABLES OF N14181 AT THE PILOT'S REQUEST. THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME. LATER THAT MORNING THE PILOT ARRIVED AND REQUESTED TO FILL TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY THE INBOARD TANKS OF THE AIRPLANE. HE WAS PRESENT DURING THE FUELING PROCEDURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAN JUAN DISPATCHED 47.5 GALLONS OF 100LL AVGAS TO N14181. ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS, THE PILOT CHECKED THE CONDITION OF THE FUEL AFTER COMPLETION OF THE PROCEDURE.
N14181 WAS PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE SHORTLY AFTER 12:00 PM. THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT RECALLS THAT THE LEFT ENGINE QUITTED AT IDLE SHORTLY BEFORE TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO START IT AND THEY TAXIED THROUGH BRAVO TAXIWAY TO RUNWAY 9. THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT RECALLS THAT THE PILOT PERFORMED AN ENGINE RUN-UP BEFORE LINING UP FOR DEPARTURE. N14181 WAS CLEARED FOR DEPARTURE AND THE PILOT LINED THE AIRPLANE ON RUNWAY 9. UPON APPLYING TAKEOFF POWER, THE AIRPLANE YAWED TO THE LEFT AND THE PILOT DECIDED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. HE CONTACTED THE TOWER TO INFORM THAT THEY WERE DISCONTINUING THE TAKEOFF. WHEN ASKED IF THEY REQUIRED ANY ASSISTANCE, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD A "FLAT TIRE". WHILE EXITING THE RUNWAY AND TAXIING TO THE RAMP, THE LEFT ENGINE QUITTED AGAIN. NUMEROUS EYEWITNESSES OBSERVED THIS FACT. THE PILOT MANAGED TO RE-START THE LEFT ENGINE AND STOPPED AT THE FORMER SIGNATURE FBO RAMP.
AT THE RAMP, THE PILOT REQUESTED THAT THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT DEPLANED WITH BOTH ENGINES RUNNING AND CHECKED THE CONDITION OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUTS. THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT RECALLS THAT THE PILOT THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD A COLLAPSED LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT. UPON VISUAL EXAMINATION, THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT SAW THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT EXHIBITED MORE EXTENSION THAN THE RIGHT ONE. THEY DECIDED TO TAXI ONE MORE TIME FOR DEPARTURE. THE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 1:33 PM.
UPON TAKEOFF POWER APPLICATION ON THIS SECOND ATTEMPT, THE AIRPLANE ONCE AGAIN YAWED TO THE LEFT. INSTEAD OF ABORTING, THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT RECALLS THE PILOT CONTINUING THE TAKEOFF ROLL WITH CONSIDERABLE FLIGHT CONTROL DEFLECTIONS. AFTER ROTATION, THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE LEFT ENGINE. HE RECALLS THAT THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE LANDING GEAR. N14181 STARTED TO VEER LEFT OF THE RUNWAY 9 EXTENDED CENTERLINE. WHEN ABEAM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 9 AND AT APPROXIMATELY 150 TO 200 FEET AGL, THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STEEP LEFT TURN AND A NOSEDIVE INTO THE SAN ANTONIO CHANNEL. THE AIRPLANE HIT A SAILBOAT MAST SHORTLY BEFORE COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE WATER.
THE SEAT #2 OCCUPANT RECALLS VERY LITTLE BEFORE AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE IMPACT. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT HE LOST CONSCIOUSNESS FOR A SPAN OF TIME. UPON WAKING UP, THE CABIN WAS ALREADY SUBMERGED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS QUICKLY SINKING INTO THE CHANNEL. HE MANAGED TO UNBUCKLE HIS SEAT BELT AND STRUGGLED TO OPEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR. HE MANAGED TO GET IT OPEN AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE SHORTLY BEFORE IT COMPLETELY SANK TO A DEPTH OF APPROXIMATELY 40'.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.