Piper PA 30 N7350Y accident near Kalispell, Montana

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and checks, during which he failed to determine the quantity and distribution of the fuel, which resulted in the loss of right engine power during takeoff due to fuel starvation.

NTSB analysis

The commercial pilot reported that, during takeoff for the cross-country flight, the right engine lost power. The airplane, which was about 10 ft above the ground, then veered right away from the runway. The pilot immediately switched fuel tanks, raised the landing gear, and feathered both propellers. Subsequently, the airplane entered about an 80-degree right bank, and the pilot was able to get the airplane nearly level, applying full left aileron and rudder, just before it contacted the ground. The airplane came to rest about 500 ft off the right side of the runway. During the accident sequence, the right engine separated from the fuselage. After the accident, the pilot shut off the fuel valves; he did not recall which position the fuel selectors were set to for takeoff. Postaccident examination of the airframe and right engine did not reveal any anomalies or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the main fuel tanks appeared to be empty but that the auxiliary tanks, which have a total capacity of 30 gallons, appeared to be almost full. The pilot reported taking off with a total fuel quantity of 30 gallons; therefore, most of the usable fuel was in the auxiliary tanks. The airplane flight manual states that, for takeoff, the fuel selectors should be selected "on" to the main fuel tanks. It is likely that the pilot followed these procedures, which led to the fuel starvation of the right engine. The Pilot's Operating Handbook preflight check included a step to visually check each tank's fuel quantity on the gauge and to visually check the fuel quantity in each tank during the walkaround inspection. Based on the evidence, it is likely that the pilot did not adequately follow these procedures before the flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR14LA269 for the full record.