Accident Overview
On June 20, 2013, at approximately 0930 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-30 airplane, registration N7017Y, performed a forced landing at the James M Cox Dayton International Airport (KDAY) in Dayton, Ohio. The private rated pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The aircraft was registered to Horizon Aviation LLC, Tipp City, Ohio, and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
Pilot's Report
The pilot reported that during the preflight inspection, a small amount of water was found in the right main inboard fuel tank. He checked the other fuel tanks and did not find any water. He rechecked the right main inboard tank and did not observe any water. During engine start, the right engine stopped; he restarted it and had to run the right engine's rpm slightly higher during warm up. During taxi and run-up, the engines performed without hesitation and no problems were observed.
The pilot stated that the departure roll seemed "sluggish." The airplane started to drift right, and he was unable to correct the drift by applying rudder, so he reduced the throttles to idle. He then elected to conduct a forced landing on a closed taxiway and added power to reach the taxiway. However, the airplane landed short of the taxiway and impacted a bump in the terrain.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airplane's nose and main landing gear had collapsed, and the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Examination of the airplane's engines revealed that the fuel servo on the right engine had separated from the engine's intake. Further examination of the servo showed that the fracture was consistent with impact damage. The examination did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented the engines from producing power.