N4321MPiper PA-32RT-300 · 1979

On June 29, 2022, at about 1145 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N4321M, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wilmington, North Carolina. The private pilot sustained minor injuries and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that he and a neighbor were taking the airplane for a local pleasure flight. The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane in accordance with the airframe manufacturer’s checklist. He performed a “normal” taxi and engine run up before beginning his takeoff. He reported that shortly after beginning the initial climb, within about 3 to 5 seconds, “the engine hesitated and stopped developing normal takeoff power.” The pilot aborted the takeoff and landed back on the runway he had departed from with about 500 ft of its length remaining (the runway’s total length was 3,000 ft). The runway was wet and the pilot attempted to stop before exiting the runway, but was unsuccessful. The airplane continued through grass and came to rest in a retention pond.

A postaccident examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane was in about 5 ft of water, in a nose-low attitude, and the airplane’s right wing had been substantially damaged. The inspector observed that there was fuel inside the left wing fuel tank with the appearance and smell of 100LL aviation fuel. The pilot reported there were about 60 gallons of fuel aboard before the takeoff.

The airplane’s engine was examined after recovery from the pond. Water drained from the engine crankcase when the oil sump suction screen was removed. The crankshaft could not be rotated by hand. When the interiors of the cylinders were examined with a lighted borescope, water and corrosion debris were observed and the cylinder walls exhibited heavy corrosion. The Nos. 1, 3, and 5 cylinders were removed to gain access to the interior of the crankcase. Continuity of the crankshaft to the rear accessory drive gears and to the valvetrain was confirmed by visual observation. Additionally, no damage to the crankshaft, camshaft, or camshaft followers was observed.

The fuel injector servo remained attached to the engine and the throttle and mixture control cables remained attached to the servo through their respective control arms. Liquid with an odor consistent with aviation gasoline drained from the fuel servo when it was tilted, from the fuel hoses connecting the engine-driven fuel pump to the fuel servo, and from the fuel servo to the fuel flow divider. The servo fuel regulator section was partially disassembled, and no damage was noted to the rubber diaphragms or other internal components. The fuel servo fuel inlet screen was absent of debris. The fuel flow divider remained attached to the engine, the fuel injector lines were secure, a few drops of water were drained, and no damage was noted to any of the internal components. The fuel injector nozzles were secure and unobstructed. The engine-driven fuel pump remained attached to the engine, a liquid with an odor consistent with aviation gasoline drained from the pump when it was removed and tilted. The pump produced air at the outlet port when operated by hand and no damage was noted to any of the internal components.

The dual magneto was removed from the engine and when its input shaft was rotated using an electric drill, spark was produced from all of the left magneto ignition towers but none of the right towers. The magneto was partially disassembled, and water and corrosion products were observed on the internal components, including the contact points. The spark plugs’ electrodes exhibited dark gray coloration and exhibited a normal wear condition. Water and corrosion were observed in the spark plug electrode wells. No damage to the ignition harness was noted. The vacuum pump remained attached to the engine and no damage was noted. It was removed and produced air at the outlet port when rotated by hand. The oil suction screen exhibited wet, white corrosion products but no metallic debris. The oil filter media was absent of debris.

The propeller remained attached to the crankshaft flange. The propeller spinner tip was impact damaged. One propeller blade was undamaged, one was bent aft about 5° at about mid-span, and the remaining blade was bent aft about 15° at about mid-span. The propeller governor remained attached to the engine and no damage was noted. The propeller governor cable remained attached to the governor control arm. The governor drive was rotated by hand and produced oil at the outlet port. The governor oil screen was absent of debris. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the engine were identified during the examination.

A review of maintenance records showed that the airplane’s last annual inspection was completed on May 19, 2022. During the inspection the engine, airframe, and propeller were found to be in an airworthy condition.