Accident Sequence
On August 14, 2014, about 1445 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, registration N706GS, was substantially damaged during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Buffalo International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, New York. The flight instructor and two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The flight instructor was providing an introductory flight to both passengers. After an uneventful preflight inspection and engine run-up check, the airplane began taxiing to the departure runway. During taxi, air traffic control offered, and the instructor accepted, an intersection departure from runway 23 at its intersection with runway 14. The instructor then guided the front-seated passenger through the takeoff. Shortly after rotation, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The instructor verified that the throttle and mixture controls were both pushed fully forward, and the engine resumed producing power. The instructor elected to return to the airport and land.
As the instructor turned the airplane left toward runway 32, the engine again experienced a total loss of power. She attempted to restore engine power, verifying the positions of the throttle, mixture, and auxiliary fuel pump, but heard the aural stall warning sound. She lowered the airplane's nose and decided to forgo further troubleshooting due to proximity to the ground. During the forced landing, the airplane struck several bushes and landed hard in a parking lot adjacent to the airport, resulting in substantial airframe damage.
Post-Accident Examination
The airplane was recovered to the operator's maintenance facility. Both wings remained attached to the fuselage. The fuselage exhibited extensive damage to the left and right lower structure from the firewall aft to the aft bulkhead. Both propeller blades were damaged, with one blade tip bent slightly forward and the other bent slightly aft. The firewall and engine mounts were impact damaged, and the engine controls were not free to move due to deformation of surrounding components.
The fuel system was examined; fuel was found within the engine-driven fuel pump, fuel boost pump, fuel filter bowl, and carburetor float bowl. A fuel sample tested negative for water. The fuel selector was found on the right tank position and moved freely through all positions.
The right wing was attached, with the fuel tank intact, cap installed, and vent unobstructed. The left wing was partially attached, with the fuel tank intact and cap installed. Flight control continuity was confirmed from each control surface to the cockpit. The stabilator trim actuator indicated a slightly nose-up pitch trim setting. The rudder trim was fully nose right, as observed on the cockpit trim indicator. The flaps were fully retracted.
Engine Testing
While still attached to the airframe, an abbreviated engine test run was performed. The engine started and idled, but advancing the throttle produced a heavy vibration at any setting above idle. The engine was shut down, and the propeller was replaced with a like-pitched and diameter propeller. After restart, the engine could accelerate to a setting slightly above 1,000–1,500 rpm. The test was suspended due to the unbalanced condition of the second propeller, without testing at higher power settings.
The engine was then removed and forwarded to the manufacturer for a full-power test run. Mounted in a test cell, the engine was run according to standard procedures and produced full rated power with no anomalies. The carburetor was subsequently tested and examined in detail, with no anomalies noted during testing or disassembly.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration records, the airplane was manufactured in September 2013. The most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on August 13, 2014, at which time the airframe and engine had accumulated 187 total hours. No engine discrepancies were found during that inspection.
The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings including airplane single-engine land, and a flight instructor certificate with a single-engine land rating. She held a first-class medical certificate. Her most recent flight review was completed in December 2013. She had accumulated 453 total hours of flight experience, with 352 hours in the accident airplane make and model, and 51 hours in the 30 days preceding the accident.
The runway configuration at BUF resembled an 'X' layout. Runway 23 was 8,829 feet long by 150 feet wide, intersected by runway 14 about 4,175 feet from the runway 23 threshold.