Piper PA-30 N7017Y accident near Dayton, Ohio

Probable cause

The pilot’s loss of control of the airplane for reasons that could not be undetermined because a postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that, during the preflight inspection of the airplane, he found a small amount of water in the right inboard fuel tank. The pilot inspected the other fuel tanks and did not find any water; he then rechecked the right inboard fuel tank and did not find any additional water. During startup, the right engine stopped, but the pilot restarted it and ran it with a higher rpm during warm-up. The pilot stated that the taxi and run-up were performed without hesitation or problems but that the takeoff run seemed "sluggish" and that the airplane then drifted right. The pilot was unable to correct the drift by applying rudder, so he reduced the throttles and chose to perform a force landing on a closed taxiway. The airplane landed short of the taxiway and impacted a bump in the terrain, which caused the landing gear to collapse. Although water in the right engine's fuel tank could have resulted in power loss and the subsequent drift to the right, examination of the airplane did not find any water in the fuel nor any abnormalities that would have prevented the engines from producing power. A reason for the pilot's loss of directional control could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA361 for the full record.