Accident Details
On June 11, 2022, at 1207 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-180, registration N3477P, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees near Stockbridge, Georgia. The private pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that he had recently purchased the airplane, which had just undergone an annual inspection. He conducted a preflight inspection and noted no anomalies. Fuel drained from the main and cross feed lines was clean, bluish in color, and consistent with 100 low-lead aviation fuel. Receipts confirmed the purchase of 43 gallons of 100LL before the flight. The fueler reported that the fuel supply was tested twice with negative results for water contamination.
After an engine run-up with no anomalies, the pilot positioned the airplane as far back on the runway as possible, held the brakes, and applied full power. He observed that all engine instruments were within the green and producing power, then released the brakes for takeoff. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane began to shake and yaw to the right. The pilot believed the right engine had lost power. He applied left rudder and reduced the airplane's pitch attitude to gain airspeed, but found the airplane difficult to control. He instructed the pilot-rated passenger to take the controls. The passenger advised feathering the right engine, and the pilot reported seeing the propeller stop. The passenger then attempted to return to the airport.
Postaccident Examination
The airplane impacted trees, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, both horizontal stabilizers and elevators, and the vertical stabilizer and rudder. A witness reported a chemical or fuel-like odor at the scene.
Examination under the oversight of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that all fuel bladders were breached and absent of fuel, preventing contamination testing. Both fuel selectors were positioned to their respective main fuel tank positions, but the connecting cables could not be examined due to impact damage.
Left Engine
The left engine exhibited continuity of the crankshaft to the rear accessory drive gears and valvetrain. Compression and suction were observed from all cylinders. No anomalies were noted internally via borescope examination. The induction air box was partially crushed, and the exhaust system had no obstructions. Both magnetos produced sparks on all leads. Spark plugs showed normal wear, with some oil-soaked electrodes. The carburetor contained no liquid, and its fuel inlet screen was absent of debris. The engine-driven fuel pump was fractured across the drive section, and no liquid was observed in the pump or corresponding fuel lines forward of the firewall.
Left Propeller
The left propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft flange. One blade was bent aft about 20° about 10 inches from the tip, with impact damage and spanwise scratching. The other blade was bent aft about 45°, with chordwise scratching and trailing edge damage.
Right Engine
The right engine had continuity to the rear accessory drive gears and valvetrain. Compression and suction were observed from all cylinders, and borescope examination revealed no anomalies. The induction air box was impact crushed, and the exhaust system was unobstructed. The left magneto sparked from all leads, but the right magneto did not spark and had oil contamination on its distributor block, ignition contact points, ignition coil, and coil high tension contact. Spark plugs showed normal wear, with some oil-soaked electrodes. The carburetor contained no liquid, and its fuel inlet screen was clean. Heavy wear was observed on the rubber tip of the needle in the needle seat assembly. The engine-driven fuel pump was fractured and dry.
Right Propeller
The right propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft flange. One blade had no damage, while the other exhibited trailing edge damage.
Weather Conditions
At 1026, weather reported at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), about 15 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, included a temperature of 29°C and a dew point of 17°C, with calculated relative humidity of 48 percent. Review of the icing probability chart in FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 indicated that these atmospheric conditions were conducive to serious icing at glide (idle) power.