Piper PA-32R Safety Record

THE UNKNOWN PILOTS IMPROPER USE OF THE THROTTLES WHICH RESULTED IN THE OVERBOOSTING OF THE ENGINE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL IMPROPER MAINTENANCE IN ADJUSTING THE TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATE AND THE OIL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE AFTER THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHICH RESTRICTED THE PILOT'S VISUAL OUTLOOK.

THE PIC'S POOR PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND THE PIC'S AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR/PASSENGER'S FAILURE TO USE THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST. THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.

THE FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE FUEL INJECTOR FUEL LINE RESULTING IN ENGINE FAILURE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNSUITABLE TERRAIN IN WHICH THE FORCED LANDING WAS MADE.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR WIND CONDITIONS AND MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. FACTORS INCLUDED: THE PILOT ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO LIFT OFF PREMATURELY, AND GUSTY CROSSWINDS.

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO DETECT THE AUTOMOBILE GASOLINE IN THE TANKS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, AND INTENTIONAL REFUELING WITH IMPROPER FUEL BY THE PILOT'S BROTHER WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSE OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO DETONATION AND LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE.

WAS THE FAILURE OF THE FUEL SERVO DIAPHRAGM STEM WHICH RESULTED IN A FUEL INTERRUPTION TO THE ENGINE. HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS AND UTILITY POLE IN THE FORCED LANDING AREA WERE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT.

FUEL LINE FAILURE DUE TO VIBRATORY FATIGUE. FACTORS WERE IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, MANUFACTURER INFORMATION FOR FUEL LINE NOT AVAILABLE, AND THE PILOTS' FAILURE TO FOLLOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.

A RESULT OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND NOT UNDERSTANDING THE AIRPLANES EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND NOT PERFORMING THE APPROPRIATE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. A FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT WAS AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ATTAIN ADEQUATE AIRSPEED, WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE CROSSWIND, THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY, AND HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS.

THE PILOT'S DISREGARD FOR WIND CONDITIONS, NOT ABORTING THE TAKEOFF, AND INADEQUATE REMEDIAL ACTION BY THE PILOT AFTER THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE. FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT ARE AN INADEQUATE WEATHER EVALUATION BY THE PILOT, NOT MAINTAINING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, AND AFTER LIFTOFF, ON THE PART OF THE PILOT. ADDITIONAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WERE SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE AND AN OVER-CONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY ON BEHALF OF THE PILOT.

THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO GET TOO LOW ON FINAL APPROACH DURING A NIGHT VISUAL LANDING. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT IMPROPERLY PLANNED THE APPROACH, DARK NIGHT AND A LACK OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN NIGHT OPERATIONS.

(1) THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PREPARATION; (2) THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER'S PERFORMANCE DATA BY HIS SELECTION OF AN IMPROPER FLAP POSITION FOR TAKEOFF; AND (3) THE PILOT'S CHOICE OF A RUNWAY TOO SHORT FOR A SAFE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: (1) THE PILOT'S TOTAL LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRPLANE WHICH WAS MANIFESTED BY HIS IMPROPER POSITIONING OF THE WING FLAPS; AND (2) THE PILOT'S IMPROPER STABILATOR CONTROL USAGE DURING ROTATION FOR TAKEOFF.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S PROCEDURES RELATED TO TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE, THE HIGH OBSTRUCTIONS, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPEREINCE WITH TAKEOFF OPERATIONS AT HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER FUEL INJECTOR LINE DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING INDUCED BY CORROSION AND PROPAGATED BY CYCLIC LOADING WHICH RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE CORROSION WAS DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S PROCESS OF BRAZING THE METAL JOINT, AND THE CYCLIC LOADING WAS DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF A CLAMP TO MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF VIBRATION. A CONTIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING.

THE PILOT DID NOT CALCULATED THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE DATA TO INSURE THAT HE HAD ENOUGH RUNWAY TO CLEAR AN OBSTACLE AT THE END OF THE FIELD, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE'S LANDING GEAR STRIKING HIGH HEDGES, SUBSEQUENTLY THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD AND IMPACTED WITH A FENCE. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE.

THE PILOT ATTEMPTING A VFR FLIGHT IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AT AN ALTITUDE THAT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO CLEAR TREES ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE PILOT'S LACK OF INSTRUMENT RATING, AND HIS OVERCONFIDENCE TO FLY IN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.