Piper PA22 N7833D accident near Hastings, Florida

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to secure the engine primer control, which resulted in an overly rich fuel/air mixture and degraded engine performance. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to abort the takeoff in a timely manner.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that, during takeoff, the airplane did not accelerate to rotation speed within its normal takeoff roll distance, but he continued the takeoff and the airplane lifted off near the end of the runway. Just after liftoff, the landing gear impacted vegetation at the end of the runway. The pilot believed the airplane was stalling and attempted to “get the airspeed up”; however, the airplane impacted a tree and then the ground, resulting in substantial damage.

Examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine primer was in the unlocked position, and the spark plugs were black and sooty. The unlocked primer, which fed fuel to all four cylinders, likely resulted in an overly rich fuel mixture. The pilot recalled that, at the time of liftoff, the engine speed was 2,400 rpm. According to the owner’s manual, the maximum engine speed was 2,700 rpm. It is likely that the excessively rich fuel mixture prevented the engine from reaching full power during the takeoff roll and resulted in the increased takeoff distance and poor climb performance.

Additionally, the wheel bearings on all three landing gear were found to have excessive side play. This may have resulted in additional drag during the takeoff roll, which if present, would have further decreased the takeoff performance. The extent to which this may have contributed to the accident could not be determined.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19LA227 for the full record.