Incident Overview
On July 17, about 1515 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-30 twin-engine airplane, registration N7981Y, was substantially damaged following a partial loss of power on the left engine and a collision with terrain during takeoff and initial climb at Othello Municipal Airport in Othello, Washington. The private pilot and the three passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to Warden Air, LLC and operated by the pilot as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight, which was destined for Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that during power-up for takeoff, the left engine revolutions per minute (RPM) was 2,200 while the right engine was 2,600 RPM. He leaned the mixture on the left engine to bring the RPM up to 2,600 and proceeded with the takeoff. After the takeoff roll, he initiated a climb and noted that the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) on the left engine was much higher than that of the right engine. The left engine RPM suddenly dropped to 2,000 RPM, the airplane yawed to the left, and began to descend. The pilot was unable to overcome the yaw and descent, and the airplane impacted the ground.
The pilot reported that he should not have leaned the left engine for takeoff.
Maintenance History
A review of the left engine's logbook revealed an entry dated March 21, 2014, indicating that the fuel flow divider had been removed, repaired, and reinstalled. The fuel servo and turbocharger had also been removed, repaired, and reinstalled. The entry noted that a flow test was performed, the engine was run-tested and checked for leaks, and returned to service. The pilot did not provide the time the airplane had flown since the maintenance work was completed.
NTSB Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) did not respond to the accident site, and the wreckage was retained by the insurance company. Prior to examination, the wreckage and engines were sold for salvage and were no longer available for examination.