Accident Overview
On October 26, 2014, about 1330 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N5601U, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Valley Point Airport (WV29), Valley Point, West Virginia. The commercial pilot and pilot-rated passenger both received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
A witness reported hearing the airplane's engine "rev up" followed by the sound of impact. The witness responded to the accident site and noted an odor of fuel.
Pilot Information
The 54-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He reported 2,000 total hours of flight experience, with 100 hours in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on June 25, 2013. The pilot stated he had not flown in several months prior to the accident. He could not recall details about the flight but noted that the accident flight was his first flight in that airplane. He had purchased the airplane about two months earlier but never registered it in his name and was not familiar with its maintenance history. He did not provide airframe or engine maintenance logbooks.
The passenger stated he had seen the pilot at the airport before but had not flown with him. He arrived intending to work in his hangar but accepted the pilot's invitation to fly. He recalled being in the right seat during departure and remembered pulling back on the yoke, but little else about the flight.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was manufactured in 1969 and equipped with a Lycoming O-320-E2A 150-horsepower reciprocating engine. The engine oil filter installed indicated it had been installed in March 2012.
Examination Findings
Initial examination by an FAA inspector revealed the airplane came to rest in a grass area about 700 feet from the approach end of runway 08. All major components were accounted for. Control continuity was traced from the cockpit to each control surface. The left wing fuel tank was three-quarters full, while the right wing fuel tank was breached and void of fuel. The fuel tank selector was found in the left tank position. The fuel in the left tank was consistent in color and odor with automotive fuel. The carburetor was removed: the accelerator pump functioned normally, the inlet screen was free of debris, and the float bowl contained fuel. The throttle and mixture control arms rotated freely through their full range.
Engine spark plugs were removed and exhibited carbon fouling. The crankshaft was rotated at the propeller flange, and thumb compression was confirmed on all four cylinders. Borescope inspection revealed no anomalies. Both magnetos were rotated by hand: the right magneto produced spark on all towers, while the left magneto produced no spark when the primary lead was separated. When the lead was reattached, the left magneto produced spark on three of four towers.
The left magneto and its primary lead were sent to the NTSB Materials Laboratory. Examination found no evidence of long-term wear suggesting the connector had worked loose in service, and signatures consistent with the lead having been secure in its housing at the time of impact.
Additional Details
Both occupants were hospitalized for several weeks and could not be interviewed until about 90 days after the accident. Subsequent attempts to contact the pilot were unsuccessful, and he did not complete the requested NTSB 6120.1 accident report.