20220928017269A

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PA28, CRASHED FOR UNKNOWN REASONS IN YARD NEAR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND AND CATCHING FIRE. NO DAMAGE OR INJURY TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS ON THE GROUND. POB: UNKNOWN, INJURIES: 1 UNKNOWN, 1 FATAL, DAMAGE: SUBSTANTIAL.

THE EVIDENCE FROM THE INVESTIGATION SUGGEST THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN INDICATION OF POWER LOSS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. PILOT ERROR IS ALSO INDICATED (DERIVED FROM THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATEMENT AND XLL VIDEO FOOTAGE), SPECIFICALLY IN THE JUDGEMENT OF CONTINUING TO PROCEED WITH THE TAKEOFF AFTER AN UNUSUALLY EXTENDED TAKEOFF ROLL. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT " HE BELIEVED THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE AT A SELECT POINT BUT THEY WERE NOT" AND AFTER HE "SUSPECTED (THE STUDENT) WOULD SETTLE THE PLANE BACK DOWN TO THE RUNWAY WHICH BRIEFLY HAPPENED" PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. ADDITIONALLY, THE FAA INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES WITH THE AIRCRAFT.

AS INDICATED IN THE INSTRUCTOR PILOTS STATEMENT:

THEY WERE CONDUCTING A SOFT FIELD TAKEOFF AND DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT " HE BELIEVED THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE AT A SELECT POINT BUT THEY WERE NOT."

THE STUDENT WAS AT THE CONTROLS AND ONCE THEY BECAME AIRBRONE HE PUT FORWARD PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO REMAIN IN GROUND EFFECT. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT BASED ON HIS PRIOR PERFORMANCE, HE SUSPECTED THAT THE STUDENT WOULD SETTLE THE PLANE BACK DOWN TO THE RUNWAY, WHICH BRIEFLY HAPPENED.

ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S STATEMENT, THE AIRCRAFT ACHIEVED VX AND (THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT) SAID “MY CONTROLS” AND ROTATED IMMEDIATELY, WHILE MAINTAINING VX. HE STATED THAT HE BELIEVED SOMETHING WAS DIFFERENT ABOUT THE AIRCRAFT’S PERFORMANCE. "THE USUAL GROUND EFFECTS DIDN’T HAPPEN AS HE EXPECTED AND THE AIRCRAFT LABORED UPON ITS CLIMB. THEY NARROWLY CLEARED THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND THE ABILITY TO GAIN ALTITUDE STOPPED AS SOON AS THEY CLEARED THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY."

"(THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT) NOTED THAT THEY WERE APPROXIMATELY 200 FT. AGL, AT THE CORRECT VX AIRSPEED, WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THOUGH IT WAS NOTICEABLY WEAK.THEY WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT ALTITUDE BUT CERTAINLY NOT FOR LONG BECAUSE THEY WERE LOSING AIRSPEED AT AN INCREASING RATE. AT THAT POINT THEY WERE AT 60 MPH WITH THE STALL WARNING HORN ENUNCIATING. WITH THE SPEED THAT REMAINED, IT WAS SUFFICIENT TO CARRY THEM TO THE TOP OF THE TREES AHEAD OF THEM. AS HE HELD THE AIRCRAFT STEADY, THE TREES BEGAN TO SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE (INSTRUCTOR PILOT) LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AFTER THAT."

THE AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO A TREE LOCATED IN THE FRONT YARD OF A RESIDENTIAL HOME SHORTLY AFTER.

THE VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM XLL SHOWS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEING FUELED BY XLL FUELERS AND BEING PREFLIGHTED BY THE STUDENT PILOT. THERE IS PARTIAL FOOTAGE OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEING TAXIED FROM THE RAMP TO THE TAXIWAY. THERE IS FOOTAGE OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON THE TAKEOFF ROLL AND DEPARTURE. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL IT CAN BE SEEN THAT MORE THAN 3/4 OF THE RUNWAY IS USED BEFORE THE AIRPLANE ROTATES AND DEPARTS. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^APPEARS TO NARROWLY MISS THE TREES LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THIS VIDEO FOOTAGE COINCIDES WITH A PORTION OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATEMENT WHEN HE STATES: "HE BELIEVED THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AIRBORNE AT A SELECT POINT BUT THEY WERE NOT" AND "THEY NARROWLY CLEARED THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY."

IN THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT PREVIOUSLY FAILED A 44709 REEXAMINATION ON 09/29/2021 AND NEVER COMPLETED ANY SUBSEQUENT REEXAMINATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, ON 10/07/2021 HE VOLUNTARILY SURRENDERED HIS PILOT CERTIFICATE TO THE ALLENTOWN FSDO WHERE IT IS PRESENTLY STILL ON DEPOSIT. HE CONTINUED TO PROVIDE LESSONS TO STUDENTS IN THE CAPACITY OF A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AFTER HE VOLUNTARILY SURRENDERED HIS COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE. THIS FINDING WILL RESULT IN AN EIR THAT WILL BE INITIATED BY AN INSPECTOR NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION.