Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Chamblee, Georgia 30341
Wednesday, August 8, 2007 19:40 EDT

Shortly after takeoff on a hot day, after the airplane was about 10 miles from the departure airport, the rear engine failed for undetermined reasons. The pilot turned the airplane back toward the airport, feathered the rear engine, and maintained front engine power at the top of the green arc of the manifold pressure gage, at 33 inches of manifold pressure. The airplane did not maintain altitude at that power setting, and to avoid houses and vehicles on the ground, the pilot performed a forced landing at a water treatment plant. During the landing, the airplane struck the top of a concrete structure, hit the ground, and became engulfed in flames. According to the owner’s manual, after an engine failure, the remaining engine power to be used isto be "increased as required." The published maximum power setting was 37 inches of manifold pressure at "red line," without any time limitations. A performance calculation indicated that at the existing ambient temperatures, and at that power setting, the airplane should have climbed at least 290 feet per minute. Additional references to the use of a 37-inch power setting, including performance calculations, were noted in the owner’s manual.

The pilot’s failure to utilize all of the power available following an engine failure. Contributing to the accident were the failure of the rear engine for undetermined reasons.