On October 24, 1997, a Piper PA-34-220T (registration N8371H) operated by Morton T. Saunders was involved in an aviation accident near Philadelphia, PA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's failure to check the elevator trim prior to takeoff, and his failure to retard the power in a timely manner after touchdown. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During takeoff, the pilot struggled to pitch the nose up. The airplane became airborne, descended, and porpoised multiple times before the nose and right main landing gear collapsed. The pilot later found the elevator trim in full nose-down position and did not retard power after the porpoising began.
Accident Details
During the takeoff run, the pilot experienced difficulty pitching the nose up for liftoff. The airplane became airborne but subsequently descended back onto the runway. It porpoised several times before the nose and right main landing gear collapsed.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that this flight was the first since the airplane's annual inspection. Although he checked flight control freedom before takeoff, he did not verify the elevator trim position. After the accident, he realized the trim was set to full nose-down. Additionally, the pilot reported that he did not immediately reduce power after the airplane returned to the runway and began porpoising.
Post-Accident Observations
The collapsed landing gear and the porpoising marks on the runway were consistent with the pilot's account. The elevator trim being in the full nose-down position would have made it difficult to rotate the aircraft during takeoff. The failure to reduce power after the initial porpoising likely exacerbated the situation.