On June 3, 2008, at 0930 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, N230ME, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing after takeoff from Palatka Municipal Airport (28J), Palatka, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The test flight was destined for DeLand Municipal Airport (DED), Deland, Florida, and was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the pilot, he departed from DED at 0815, and proceeded uneventfully to 28J, where he filled the airplane with fuel. He followed the preflight checklist, including the dual magneto and "dual fuel checks," added "one notch" of flaps, and taxied into position on runway 17. The pilot then advanced the throttle to begin the takeoff roll. He stated that airplane accelerated normally while he fine-tuned the propeller rpm. The pilot rotated the airplane at 75 knots, established a positive rate of climb, and retracted the landing gear.
Immediately past the departure end of the 3,500-foot runway, the pilot thought that the rate of climb was "sluggish," even though the engine was operating at 2,100 rpm. The pilot advanced the propeller control to its most forward position, and noted little rpm increase. Next, he checked that the two fuel pumps were on. With a quick scan of the instruments, he determined that there were no remarkable changes. As the airplane climbed, the pilot noticed that it was too close to the trees at the departure end of the runway, but was still climbing. The pilot did not note any abnormal engine sounds. He then initiated a turn to the left, since the terrain ahead contained many houses.
The engine power decreased, and the airplane started to descend after the first 90 degrees of the turn, and the performance of the airplane continued to deteriorate. The pilot attempted to avoid obstacles such as trees and power lines, but the airplane eventually impacted trees and terrain.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the airplane was manufactured in 1978. The airplane was classified by the FAA as experimental, in the research and development category. For research and development purposes, the airplane was equipped with a Mistral G-190 rotary engine. The airplane was operated by Mistral Engines USA Inc. of DeLand, Florida.
Subsequent to the accident, a representative of the engine manufacturer examined the engine under the supervision of an FAA inspector. The engine manufacturer subsequently prepared a field service report describing their observations. According to the report, examination of data downloaded from the engine's electronic control unit revealed that all major engine parameters were within expected ranges for the duration of the flight, with the exception of propeller speed. Following initial take-off roll, the propeller speed dropped to around about 2,070 rpm, rather than within the normal takeoff and climb range of 2,100 to 2,200 rpm. No anomalies of the intake, fuel, or ignition systems were noted. Examination of the exhaust system revealed that while the primary exhaust manifold and intermediate exhaust segment only exhibited impact damage, the muffler section was about 75 percent blocked by a collapse of the internal perforated tube and packing material.
The engine manufacturer additionally stated that a custom exhaust system was installed on the engine. The primary and intermediate sections of the exhaust were of their proprietary design, and had accumulated 342 flight hours. The exhaust muffler was constructed by a third party using components and materials normally used in applications with traditional horizontally-opposed aircraft engines. The silencer was fitted new to the accident engine on March 7th, 2008, and had accumulated 171 flight hours since that time.
Following the external examination, the engine was shipped to the manufacturer's facility in Switzerland, where it was test run on a dynamometer. During the test run, the engine produced 184 horsepower at 2,250 rpm, with no abnormalities noted.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multi-engine land, single-engine sea, and instrument airplane. He also held a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. The pilot reported 1,314 hours of total flight experience, and 232 hours of experience in the accident airplane make and model.
The weather conditions reported at St. Augustine Airport (SGJ), St. Augustine, Florida, located about 27 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, at 0850, included winds from 140 degrees at 6 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, scattered clouts at 1,500 feet, broken clouds at 6,000 feet, temperature 26 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 22 degrees C, and altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury.