Accident Overview
On September 21, 2011, at approximately 0922 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250 (registration N62792) sustained substantial damage after impacting terrain following a loss of control during initial climb after takeoff from Truckee-Tahoe Airport (TRK), Truckee, California. The aircraft was operated under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, with a destination of Bakersfield, California.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and multiengine land. He reported a total flight time of 2,000 hours, with 400 hours in multiengine aircraft, all in the accident airplane. His most recent biennial flight review was completed on May 21, 2011, in the accident airplane. A review of FAA medical records showed that his most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on June 29, 2009, with a limitation requiring corrective lenses.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1976. According to maintenance records provided by the pilot, the most recent annual inspection was performed on May 23, 2011, at a total airframe time of 4,760.5 hours. The aircraft was equipped with two Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 six-cylinder, air-cooled, direct drive, horizontally opposed, normally aspirated (fuel injected) engines, each rated at 250 horsepower at 2,575 rpm. Both engines underwent annual inspections on May 23, 2011. At that time, the right engine had accumulated 560.7 hours since its most recent major overhaul, while the left engine had 690.8 hours.
Meteorological Conditions
At 0855, the weather reporting facility at Truckee-Tahoe Airport indicated wind calm, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 9°C, dew point 3°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.27 inches of mercury.
Wreckage and Impact
The airplane came to rest about 500 feet south of runway 28/10, oriented facing north and nearly perpendicular to the active runway. It remained upright and basically intact, except for the left wing, which had separated. The forward cabin and cockpit areas were consumed by a post-crash fire. The fuselage sustained extensive ground impact and fire damage. The center console fuel selector lever indicated that both left and right tank selectors were in the outboard tank position; the crossfeed selector was OFF. The right wing was separated from the fuselage and mostly consumed by fire. The fuel gascolator and fuel selector valve on the right wing sustained heat impact damage. The left wing's fuel selector valve lever was positioned in the outboard tank position, and the cable wire was attached and bent consistent with that position. The right wing's fuel selector valve lever was in the inboard tank position, and the cable wire was broken and separated.
Engines and Propellers Examination
Both engines and propellers were recovered for examination. The left engine's fuel injection servo was displaced from the engine; fracture signatures were consistent with overload. Throttle/mixture controls were securely attached. The fuel injection servo's metering diaphragm section cover exhibited a puncture from the mixture control lever during impact, but the internal diaphragm remained intact. The fuel flow divider had no evidence of internal mechanical malfunction or obstruction. The fuel pump was free of internal malfunction. Examination of fuel injection nozzles found that the number two cylinder nozzle appeared partially obstructed. Further analysis revealed that the nozzle was plugged with black debris, identified as paint, with a strong spectral match to torque stripe paint. The left engine's propeller remained attached with both blades bent aft about 40-45 degrees. The right engine sustained moderate thermal damage from the post-impact fire but showed no evidence of pre-impact catastrophic mechanical malfunction. The right propeller blades displayed leading edge gouging and chordwise striations consistent with rotational forces at impact. No comprehensive disassembly was performed on the right engine.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that after fueling and baggage loading, he performed a preflight check, started engines without difficulty, taxied to the runway, performed standard runway checks, and proceeded to take off. Upon reaching an altitude of about 70 to 75 feet above ground level (agl), with the landing gear extended, he felt a vibration and that the left engine was running rough. He stated he did not have time to react to reduce power on the right engine, which caused the airplane to roll to the left. He described the event as a "Classic VMC stall." An airport employee witnessed the airplane initially climb to between 50 and 100 feet agl, then veer left, pitch up to about a 30-degree angle, and enter a left-wing-down, nose-down attitude. The airplane impacted terrain with its left wing and cartwheeled before coming to rest upright. A post-crash fire consumed the cabin and cockpit.