Accident Overview
On August 30, 2020, at about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 414 airplane, registration N698D, was substantially damaged in an accident at Ray Community Airport (57D), near Ray, Michigan. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane for an annual inspection and installation of automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) equipment. According to the pilot, the preflight inspection and engine run-up were normal, and the brakes operated normally during taxi. He reported that he gently applied full power, everything seemed good, and the airplane began to slowly accelerate. About a third of the way down the runway, at approximately 50 mph, the airplane suddenly started to steer to the right. The pilot attempted to counteract this with left rudder input, while his heels remained on the floor to avoid inadvertent brake application during the takeoff. After another 1 to 2 seconds, he decided to abort the takeoff, applied the brakes, and shut down the engines. At that point, the airplane was already partially in the grass. The airplane then traveled into the grass, turned 90 degrees to the left, and the landing gear collapsed.
Witness Account
A witness, a pilot with multiengine experience including in twin-engine Cessna airplanes, reported observing the airplane taxi onto runway 28 for departure. The witness noted that the airplane did not use the displaced threshold as available runway for takeoff, and instead taxied past the end of the displaced threshold before stopping on the runway. The engines then went to full power. The witness reported that the airplane accelerated and began to veer to the left, then overcorrected to the right, at which point it was about to exit the runway. The nose of the airplane came up and it attempted to fly in ground effect, with both wings “wallowing near stall.” Eventually, one wing dropped, and the airplane pancaked sideways near the end of runway 28 in the grass field.
Aircraft Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage, including crush damage to the forward fuselage and separation of the nose landing gear. A comprehensive determination of the airplane’s mechanical integrity prior to the accident could not be made due to the damage to the forward fuselage and nose landing gear; however, no apparent pre-impact defects were noted.