History of Flight
On June 22, 2013, about 1335 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-30, registration N830SS, operated by a private pilot, collided with terrain following a loss of aircraft control during takeoff initial climb at Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), Idaho Falls, Idaho. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; another passenger was seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was departing IDA for Jackson Hole Airport, Wyoming.
About 1300, the pilot had the airplane refueled at his hangar. A ramp employee observed the pilot performing a preflight and walk-around but did not see him sump the fuel tanks. After refueling, the employee returned to the FBO and heard three popping sounds as the airplane took off. Another witness observed the airplane departing southbound above the tree line, heard several pops, then saw it bank right and collide with terrain about 200 feet from his location.
The rear seat passenger recalled the departure: after a full fuel top-off and preflight at the hangar, they taxied to the runway, received ATC clearance, and began takeoff. Shortly after departure, he saw white and yellow instrument lights and heard the right engine surging. At about 100-200 feet AGL, the pilot reported a leak on the right wing. The airplane then banked sharply right, and the pilot told occupants to brace for impact. The airplane struck terrain west of the departure end of runway 17, adjacent to the airport entrance road.
Personnel Information
The 64-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument ratings. A third-class medical was issued February 3, 2010, with a corrective lenses requirement. He reported 1,850 total hours and no flight hours in the previous six months. His medical certificate was not valid at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The four-seat, low-wing, twin-engine, retractable-gear Piper PA-30 (serial number 30-1958) was manufactured in 1969 and powered by two Lycoming IO-320-C1A engines (160 hp each) with Hartzell constant-speed propellers. Maintenance was performed under the manufacturer's approved inspection program. An annual inspection was completed on May 11, 2013, at a Hobbs meter reading of 526.0 hours and airframe total time of 2,711.7 hours. A 100-hour inspection on both engines was completed on May 10-11, 2013, with engine time since major overhaul of 1,032.7 hours each.
During the last annual, a new fuel tank bladder was installed in the left inboard tank, and fuel flow transducers and injectors were installed on both engines. Several Airworthiness Directives were complied with, including AD 83-10-01 (requiring inspection every 50 hours to prevent fuel system water retention and deterioration). On May 20, 2013, avionics work was performed by Intermountain Aerospace; no flight time occurred between the annual and that work.
Meteorological Information
Recorded data from IDA's automated weather station (near the accident site) at 1253 indicated wind from 210° at 14 knots gusting 22 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 4,300 feet, temperature 18°C, dew point 4°C, altimeter 30.08 inHg. At 1353: wind from 220° at 15 knots gusting 24 knots, visibility 10 miles, few clouds at 6,000 feet, temperature 19°C, dew point 2°C, altimeter 30.07 inHg. Density altitude was calculated at about 6,108 feet. Crosswind component for departure was 9 knots from the right.
Communications
ATC provided takeoff clearance for runway 17; the pilot's read-back was the last transmission from the accident airplane. After clearance, the airplane began its departure roll and departed about 3,000 feet down the runway. The controller then focused on inbound traffic and shortly after heard a sound like an engine revving. She looked for the airplane and heard the impact, then saw a dust cloud near the accident site.
Airport Information
Idaho Falls Regional Airport is a controlled Class D airport with field elevation 4,744 feet. It has two asphalt runways: 17/35 (4,051 feet long, 75 feet wide, 0.2% positive gradient) and 2/20. Standard traffic pattern for runway 17 is left turns. The runway surface was in good condition.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted terrain about 500 feet west of the departure end of runway 17 at about 4,750 feet msl. Coordinates: N43 30.7155', W112 03.9069'. The aircraft came to rest inverted, with wings and cabin area inverted. The aft fuselage from empennage to rear cabin was partially separated and crushed. The empennage remained partially attached. The cabin area rested on a magnetic heading of about 300°, with debris within a 70-foot radius.
The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a ground scar with multiple impressions about 6 inches wide and 50 feet long, containing painted filler fragments. Three deep ground scars extended from the impressions: the first showed propeller strikes, the second a large flat disturbed area, and the third propeller strikes near a half-buried left propeller assembly. Further down, a small disturbed area contained painted filler. The cabin roof and forward fuselage were about 30 feet beyond, followed by the outboard right wing with tip tank near the main wreckage. The right propeller assembly had chord-wise scratching, buffing near tips, and bent blades with missing material. Main wreckage came to rest about 100 feet beyond the FIPC.
Both engines separated from wings but remained partially attached by cables and wires. The right engine rested upright forward of the right wing; the left engine rested on the bottom side of the left wing near the fuselage belly. Witnesses reported smoke and fire from the left engine, extinguished with a dry chemical fire extinguisher; no water was used.
Weight and Balance
A calculated weight and balance showed the center of gravity within limits, but the airplane's weight exceeded maximum gross weight by 176.85 pounds.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on the pilot by the Bonneville County Coroner's Office on June 24, 2013, listed cause of death as severe blunt force trauma from the aircraft accident. Forensic toxicology by the FAA's Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory detected no carbon monoxide, ethanol, or drugs.
Tests and Research
Examination of recovered airframe and engines on June 24, 2013, revealed fuel samples from strainer assemblies positive for water contamination. Disassembly of fuel strainers, selector valve housings, and fuel bowl assemblies showed water contamination, rust, and deposits. Fuel samples from both engines also tested positive for water contamination, with visible sediment and rust in several fuel system components. Two fuel samples sent to Core Laboratories were consistent with aviation gasoline (100LL).