Piper PA-30 N8734Y accident near Douglas, Georgia

Probable cause

A loss of engine power during takeoff due to fuel contamination. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection and inadequate maintenance of the fuel system.

NTSB analysis

The airplane had been parked outside and not flown for about 1 year, except for a test flight conducted about 1 month prior to the accident. During a preflight inspection, the pilot observed water in the airplane's main fuel tanks, and debris in the right wingtip fuel tank. A series of engine ground run-ups and maintenance was conducted prior to the pilot attempting a test-flight. The airplane subsequently experienced a rough running left engine during the takeoff and impacted trees. Postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed the presence of water and corrosion in the fuel distribution system. Water was observed in both of the main fuel tank strainers and the left engine fuel injector. In addition, fuel drained from the airplane by recovery personnel contained water and unidentified debris. An annual inspection was performed on the airplane about 6 weeks prior to the accident, and additional maintenance was performed, which included flushing the fuel tanks and cleaning the fuel lines to each respective flow divider after the left engine "missed" during the test flight conducted about 1 month prior. The pilot had only accumulated about 22 hours of multiengine flight experience and lacked experience in the make and model of the accident airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10LA438 for the full record.