- Date
- August 14, 1995, 05:20 local (09:20 UTC)
- Place
- Ironwood, MI
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9123YPiper PA-31
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950814030469A
- Case key
- 10000
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during the aborted takeoff. A factor was the partial loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he conducted a normal takeoff, and the left engine lost power when the airplane was at approximately 25 feet above the runway. He 'lowered the nose, pulled the power, and landed straight ahead.' The airplane landed left of the runway and slid through a drainage ditch. Examination revealed no evidence of preimpact airframe malfunction. The engine was tested in the 'as received condition' and produced 85 percent of the rated power.
Factual narrative
On August 14, 1995, at 0520 central daylight time, a Piper PA-31, N9123Y, operated by G&W Aviation, Inc., sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway and impacted terrain during an aborted takeoff in Iron Mountain, Michigan. The commercial pilot and six passengers reported no injuries. The personal, 14 CFR Part 91 flight was planned to Chicago, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan was filed.
In his written statement, the pilot reported that he conducted a normal takeoff and the number one engine lost power when the airplane was at approximately 25 feet above the runway. He "lowered the nose, pulled the power, and landed straight ahead." The airplane landed left of the runway and slid through a drainage ditch. The nose and left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
The wreckage was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who reported no evidence of preimpact airframe or engine malfunction. Both propellers exhibited rotational damage.
When tested, the fuel system provided fuel to both engines at the firewall.
The number one engine was examined and tested at Textron Lycoming, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on October 19, 1995. The intake manifold contained an abraded penetration approximately 1.5 inches high by 1/8 inch wide in the rear left corner, underneath the rear baffling. A significant amount of particulate ferrous metal was recovered from the oil filter. No other mechanical malfunctions were noted. A test club was installed and the engine was tested in a production test cell in the "as received condition", except for the replacement of the engine oil and oil filter. The engine operated normally during the test run and produced 85 percent of the rated power.
The pilot operating handbook (POH) for the PA-31-310 specifies for a normal takeoff "At 90 MPH, CAS, rotate the aircraft and allow it to fly off." The limitations section of the POH specifies a minimum control speed of 85 miles per hour.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9123Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-163
- Airframe hours
- 7,301
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-A1A, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- G & W Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 27, 1995 · 102 hours before
- Destination
- PEK · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IWD · Gogebic County, runway 27, 6,501 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,161 total · 120 in this make and model · 1,075 as pilot in command · 226 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.