Accident Overview
On May 16, 2010, at 1013 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P, Mexican registration XB-LTH, was substantially damaged during impact with trees and a house after takeoff from Clearwater Airpark (CLW), Clearwater, Florida. The certificated commercial pilot and one passenger were seriously injured, and another passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a defense visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight to Toussaint Louverture International Airport (MTPP), Port-au-Prince, Haiti, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The purpose of the flight was to ferry relief supplies to Haiti. The airplane was loaded with donated items. The pilot's brother-in-law decided to accompany the pilot and another passenger.
Witness Observations
A pilot-rated witness, working on his airplane in a hangar at CLW, saw the accident airplane fly past the departure end of runway 16 at very low altitude in a tail-low attitude. He heard no noticeable engine problem. The airplane continued toward trees at very slow speed, its tail brushing treetops, then engine power was "suddenly chopped" and the airplane disappeared below the treeline.
Another witness reported the airplane lifted off with about one-third of the runway remaining and had poor climb. At about 20 feet above ground, the landing gear retracted while the airplane flew level or with low climb. It cleared trees beyond the runway in a nose-high attitude, then he lost sight and heard impact sounds about 10 seconds later. The engine sounded normal throughout.
A lineman who fueled the airplane observed several people loading boxes into front and rear baggage compartments. The pilot's sister expressed concern about weight and asked the lineman to inquire. The pilot stated he had about 200 pounds of cargo and that the weight was "okay." During takeoff, the lineman saw the airplane rotate about halfway down the runway, appear tail-heavy, pitch oscillate several times, turn sharply left past the runway end, and then a cloud of black smoke.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The pilot held an FAA commercial pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument ratings, and a second-class medical issued April 9, 2010. He reported 2,662 total flight hours, with 23 in the accident airplane. The Piper PA-46-350P was manufactured in 2007, powered by a turbocharged 350-horsepower Lycoming TIO-540 engine with a three-bladed Hartzell propeller. Its last annual inspection was on April 27, 2010, at 206.6 hours. Mexican registration was issued May 13, 2010, to the pilot as owner.
Weight and Balance
Postaccident examination revealed 438 pounds of cargo distributed in forward baggage, main cabin, and aft baggage. The pilot weighed 180 pounds, front passenger 220, rear passenger 90. Fuel tanks were topped off with 120 gallons. The airplane's empty weight was 3,187 pounds, maximum takeoff weight 4,340 pounds. Calculated accident weight was 4,835 pounds. Forward and aft center of gravity limits at maximum takeoff weight were 143.3 and 147.1 inches aft of datum; estimated center of gravity was 143.8 inches.
Performance and Procedures
According to the pilot's operating handbook, takeoff ground roll at maximum gross weight with 20 degrees of flaps was about 1,600 feet, and distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle about 2,600 feet, under the prevailing atmospheric conditions. Performance charts had no provisions for weights exceeding maximum certificated gross weight. The recommended obstacle clearance takeoff procedure specifies 20 degrees of flaps, maximum power, liftoff at 69 knots, accelerate to 80 knots until clear, then retract gear and flaps at 90 knots.
The pilot stated he set flaps to 20 degrees and initiated takeoff from runway 16. At 150 feet and 95 knots, he retracted landing gear and flaps; the airplane began to sink. The stall warning activated, and he shut down the engine in preparation for impact, with no runway remaining and insufficient altitude. Upon impact with a tree, the left wing separated; the remainder of the airplane collided with a house. The forward fuselage separated from the cabin, and the airplane came to rest upright in a backyard. The rear seat passenger exited via the emergency exit; the pilot and front seat passenger were extricated by bystanders and firefighters.
Postaccident Examination
An FAA inspector noted partial fire damage to the fuselage, engine separation, and established elevator control continuity. The NTSB and manufacturer representatives conducted a follow-up examination on June 10, 2010. Control continuity to ailerons was confirmed through cable breaks consistent with tensile overload. The engine showed no pre-impact anomalies; borescope examination of cylinders was normal, compression was obtained, spark plugs appeared normal, magnetos produced spark, and clean blue fuel was found in the fuel divider.
The primary flight display recorded a gradual increase in engine rpm, maximum airspeed of 83 knots indicated, a sharp increase then decrease in vertical speed and pitch, and a decrease in altitude before impact.