Incident Details
On January 9, 1998, at 1935 hours local time, a Piper PA-31 aircraft, registration N4111M, crashed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines. The aircraft was on a night ferry flight to Saipan in the Marianas under visual meteorological conditions; an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The airline transport rated pilot and copilot were not injured, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Flight Sequence
According to the pilot, after completing a preflight inspection, the crew received clearance to taxi to the active runway. The pilot requested a full-length takeoff from runway 06. Approximately 75 feet after lifting off the ground, the pilot directed the copilot to retract the landing gear. Shortly after the gear was raised, the aircraft yawed sharply to the right. The pilot lowered the nose in an attempt to regain airspeed lost due to the yaw. However, the aircraft continued to lose airspeed and altitude. The pilot asked the copilot to extend the landing gear and landed with power applied until contact with the runway. After touchdown, the aircraft slid to the left and came to rest after striking a concrete ditch.
Pre-Accident Test Flights
Test flights of the accident aircraft had been conducted two days prior and on the day before the accident. The purpose of these flights was to evaluate propellers that had been overhauled and to obtain a ferry permit from the Federal Aviation Administration's Designated Airworthiness Representative (DAR). The DAR determined that the aircraft met required specifications, made the appropriate entry in the aircraft's logbook, and issued the ferry authorization.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA-31, registration N4111M. No further details about the aircraft's history or maintenance were provided in the source.