Piper PA-30 N64RJ

Summary

On 30 January 2011 at about 15:20 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N64RJ, operated by Tower General Construction Inc, was involved in an accident near Big Bear City, California, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 January 2011 at 15:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Bear City, California, United States

Nearest airport

Big Bear City Airport (L35)

Coordinates

34.2642, -116.8433

Aircraft

Piper PA-30

Registration

N64RJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Tower General Construction Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Bear → Pacoima

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11LA113

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain the minimum single-engine control speed while on final approach for landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly with a known deficiency in one engine and a loss of power in that engine for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after takeoff the right engine lost power as he turned onto the left crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. He continued to turn onto the downwind leg, making sure to keep the airspeed above the single-engine control speed of 90 mph. The pilot’s last recollection was turning to final approach and seeing the runway. A witness in the area reported hearing the sound of an engine popping and backfiring before the airplane started the takeoff roll. The airplane subsequently impacted the roof of a private residence located about 900 feet from the runway threshold. The airplane came to rest inverted in the front yard. The airplane had recently undergone maintenance, which included the overhaul of both engines. The pilot had flown the airplane into the airport the day before and, after landing, called the maintenance facility to report that the right engine was running rough. A mechanic was not available to help him and he was told that he should not fly the airplane. A postaccident examination of both the right and left engines revealed no evidence of mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. A global positioning system (GPS) unit was recovered and downloaded. The information indicated that the airplane continued to climb on the downwind leg to pattern altitude and then descended and reduced power to final approach. The last heading was aligned with the runway with a ground speed of 76 miles per hour and 1,400 feet east of the landing threshold. The pilot likely allowed the airspeed to decrease below the single-engine control speed and did not maintain sufficient altitude to clear the house while on final approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.