Piper PA-28-140 Loss of Engine Power During Takeoff at Helena Regional Airport (N4666R)

Accident Overview and Damage Assessment On January 20, 2015, at 1220 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N4666R, experienced a loss of engine power during takeoff from Helena Regional Airport (HLN), Helena, Montana. The aircraft subsequently struck a shed and a house. The flight was conducted as a personal operation under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, with no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailing. The private pilot was not injured, while the passenger/owner sustained minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage throughout its structure, with both wings separating from the airframe and both fuel tanks breached. A blue-colored liquid was observed near the right wing pooled in the snow. The aircraft had struck power lines, a tree, and a propane tank before coming to rest in the shed and adjacent house. ## Pilot and Owner Statements The pilot reported performing a thorough preflight inspection, including checks of the flight controls, fuel, and fuel sumps, with no discrepancies noted. After starting the engine and contacting ground control for a taxi clearance to runway 27, the pilot conducted an engine run-up. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft rotated at 65 mph. In the climb-out, the pilot noted that the engine was quiet and not developing full power. With no safe place to land straight ahead and the engine still running, the pilot initiated a shallow left turn back to the airport at an altitude of approximately 350 to 400 feet above ground level, with the engine developing 2,300 rpm. The aircraft was unable to maintain altitude or airspeed and collided with a house. The owner/passenger stated that he had purchased the aircraft about two weeks prior to the accident. An annual inspection had been completed in August 2014, and the aircraft had accrued approximately 2.19 hours since that inspection. On January 16, 2015, the owner requested that Executive Aviation, a fixed-base operator, top off the aircraft with aviation fuel. The aircraft was refueled with 26.3 gallons, with the majority of the fuel placed in the right fuel tank. The aircraft had been tied down outside on the tarmac since August.