What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 5, 2023, Piper PA-22-150 departed on a local part 91 flight from Blue Ridge skypark (57GA) at around 1114 local time to martin campbell field airport (1A3) for pattern work and landing approximately 9.6 miles away. Takeoff at 57GA was from runway 18, this paved runway has a steep downgrade pitch from north to south and is reported to be 3100 x 30 ft., a witnesses reported the runup and take off sounded and appeared normal until the aircraft reached approximately 200' AGL, when the engine "rolled back", at this point the aircraft was near the end of the runway with rising terrain and obstructions, the pilot lowered the nose and banked left, the aircraft impacted a tree 500' from the runway on a 121 heading and approximately 20 feet from the ground. First responders reported fuel was leaking from both tanks when they arrived. The aircraft sustained catastrophic damage, both wings had sustained heavy crushing, compromising both fuel tanks and fuel plumbing to the fuel selector, the cockpit area forward of the controls was destroyed from the impact and likely from the extradition of the pilot by first responders. The engine detached from the airframe and came to rest approximately 25 feet from the impact site. Inspection of the airframe wreckage did not reveal any flight control discontinuities, all flight control cables were present, and continuity was established, it was noted the fuel selector was positioned between “right” and “both” tanks, the fuel selector was removed and retained by the NTSB inspector for further analysis. The engine and propeller sustained impact damage, the propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft and was removed by the Lycoming representative to facilitate the engine inspection. The carburetor was sheared off at the bowl attach screws and was located within the wreckage, the engine inspection revealed compression was present in all cylinders, valvetrain was verified and the engine rotated and was not seized, magnetos were removed and the accessory drive geartrain continuity was established. Magnetos were spark checked, harness and spark plugs did not show any irregularities. The fuel system could not be validated due to the condition of the carburetor. The engine controls (throttle, mixture) were extensively damaged and could not be tested. Records found in the aircraft documented the aircraft annual inspection to be current, aircraft was properly registered with no documented open maintenance requirements.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 5, 2023, PIPER PA-22-150 DEPARTED ON A LOCAL PART 91 FLIGHT FROM BLUE RIDGE SKYPARK (57GA) AT AROUND 1114 LOCAL TIME TO MARTIN CAMPBELL FIELD AIRPORT (1A3) FOR PATTERN WORK AND LANDING APPROXIMATELY 9.6 MILES AWAY. TAKEOFF AT 57GA WAS FROM RUNWAY 18, THIS PAVED RUNWAY HAS A STEEP DOWNGRADE PITCH FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND IS REPORTED TO BE 3100 X 30 FT., A WITNESSES REPORTED THE RUNUP AND TAKE OFF SOUNDED AND APPEARED NORMAL UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT REACHED APPROXIMATELY 200' AGL, WHEN THE ENGINE "ROLLED BACK", AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITH RISING TERRAIN AND OBSTRUCTIONS, THE PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE AND BANKED LEFT, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A TREE 500' FROM THE RUNWAY ON A 121 HEADING AND APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET FROM THE GROUND. FIRST RESPONDERS REPORTED FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM BOTH TANKS WHEN THEY ARRIVED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE, BOTH WINGS HAD SUSTAINED HEAVY CRUSHING, COMPROMISING BOTH FUEL TANKS AND FUEL PLUMBING TO THE FUEL SELECTOR, THE COCKPIT AREA FORWARD OF THE CONTROLS WAS DESTROYED FROM THE IMPACT AND LIKELY FROM THE EXTRADITION OF THE PILOT BY FIRST RESPONDERS. THE ENGINE DETACHED FROM THE AIRFRAME AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET FROM THE IMPACT SITE. INSPECTION OF THE AIRFRAME WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY FLIGHT CONTROL DISCONTINUITIES, ALL FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES WERE PRESENT, AND CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED, IT WAS NOTED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS POSITIONED BETWEEN “RIGHT” AND “BOTH” TANKS, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS REMOVED AND RETAINED BY THE NTSB INSPECTOR FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER SUSTAINED IMPACT DAMAGE, THE PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT AND WAS REMOVED BY THE LYCOMING REPRESENTATIVE TO FACILITATE THE ENGINE INSPECTION. THE CARBURETOR WAS SHEARED OFF AT THE BOWL ATTACH SCREWS AND WAS LOCATED WITHIN THE WRECKAGE, THE ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED COMPRESSION WAS PRESENT IN ALL CYLINDERS, VALVETRAIN WAS VERIFIED AND THE ENGINE ROTATED AND WAS NOT SEIZED, MAGNETOS WERE REMOVED AND THE ACCESSORY DRIVE GEARTRAIN CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. MAGNETOS WERE SPARK CHECKED, HARNESS AND SPARK PLUGS DID NOT SHOW ANY IRREGULARITIES. THE FUEL SYSTEM COULD NOT BE VALIDATED DUE TO THE CONDITION OF THE CARBURETOR. THE ENGINE CONTROLS (THROTTLE, MIXTURE) WERE EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED AND COULD NOT BE TESTED. RECORDS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT DOCUMENTED THE AIRCRAFT ANNUAL INSPECTION TO BE CURRENT, AIRCRAFT WAS PROPERLY REGISTERED WITH NO DOCUMENTED OPEN MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.