PIPER PA-31P — Kearney, MO

What happened

The pilot was flying the airplane on an FAA Special Flight Permit to another location to complete maintenance and an overdue annual inspection. The airplane had been abandoned, with its most recent flight being 8 years before, and chained to a tree in an agricultural field adjacent to the airport from August 2021 until December 2022 when it was purchased by the current owner.

Before the accident flight, an attempt was made to top off the airplane’s fuel tanks. However, fuel started to leak from multiple locations and only three fuel tanks were able to be fueled. The pilot asked the mechanic about the leaks; the mechanic stated that the filler necks were leaking, and the lineman had attempted to top off the fuel tanks instead of the previously agreed upon lower level. The pilot then completed a brief preflight inspection before starting the airplane. During engine start, the pilot requested the mechanic’s assistance three times to ask about various issues that the mechanic talked him through. The pilot then taxied to the runway and departed without performing an engine run-up.

Multiple cellphone video recordings of the takeoff sequence showed the airplane veer to the right and attempt to rotate before settling back to the runway. The recordings then showed the airplane become airborne near the end of the runway end and initially yaw to the right before it entered a shallow climb. The witnesses observed the airplane barely clear a line of trees past the departure end of the runway and make a left turn before it disappeared behind trees. Analysis of the video recordings showed that rotation was at a ground speed of about 70.8 knots, corresponding to an estimated air speed of about 74.8 knots, which was significantly below the recommended rotation speed of 85 knots.

A witness north of the airport heard a loud airplane that appeared from behind trees and headed toward his residence. He observed the airplane strike two static wires on a power transmission line before it impacted the canopy of a large tree in his front yard. The airplane continued in a left bank toward a nearby soybean field and impacted the terrain in a nose-low, left bank attitude.

Distribution of the wreckage and damage signatures observed during postaccident examination were indicative of an off field forced landing. Postaccident examinations revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe, left engine, or propellers that would have precluded normal operation. Extensive preimpact vegetation and animal debris were found on and in the airplane, indictive of long-term abandonment. The right propeller displayed indications consistent with low power. Examination of the right engine showed corrosion of the induction housing assembly with corrosion debris in the floor of the housing, all fuel injector ports and fully blocking two fuel injectors. The right turbocharger showed no rotational witness marks, which was consistent with low to no right engine power. Additionally, video and sound spectrum analysis showed the right propeller RPM being 100 RPM lower than the left propeller during the takeoff roll.

Postaccident examination and interviews with the mechanic revealed that very little maintenance or inspections were performed on the airplane before it was issued a Special Flight Permit by the local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).

Based on the evidence, the right engine likely had a partial loss of engine power due to deterioration of the internal components related to the long-term abandonment of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic’s failure to disclose to both the pilot and the FAA the actual extent of the unairworthy condition of the airplane. There was no evidence that the pilot’s medical condition contributed to the accident.

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