PIPER PA 24-250 — Quinlan, TX, 2015

PIPER PA 24-250 — Quinlan, TX

2 fatal High-time pilot

Date	July 1, 2015
Location	Quinlan, TX
Aircraft	PIPER PA 24-250
Purpose of flight	Personal
Conditions	Day · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrence	Prior to flight Aircraft inspection event
Pilot age	54
Pilot total time	4,005 hrs · High time
Time in type	Unknown
Fatalities	2

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane following a loss of engine power during initial climb after takeoff, which resulted in the wing's critical angle-of-attack being exceeded and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Also causal was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane's fuel system, which resulted in the loss of engine power due to water contamination.

NTSB findings

Personnel issues-Task performance-Inspection-Preflight inspection-Pilot
Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Fuel system-(general)-Inadequate inspection
Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Fuel-Fluid condition
Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded

What happened

The airplane, which was owned and operated by the private pilot, experienced a total loss of engine power shortly after takeoff, descended, and impacted a field. A fire erupted that consumed the majority of the airplane's cabin and the inboard sections of both wings. The wreckage distribution, ground scars, and crushing of the wing leading edges were indicative of a low-speed nose-down impact and consistent with an aerodynamic stall. Examination of the fuel system revealed the presence of rust and water in both electric fuel pumps and water in the engine carburetor bowl. The examination revealed no other engine or airframe anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The rust found in the fuel pumps indicated that the fuel system had been contaminated with water for a long period of time. The airplane owner's handbook provided clear and explicit instructions on how to check before flight for fuel system contamination.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.