MIA85FA128

Factual narrative

ON THE MORNING OF 3/22/85, THE PLT ARRIVED AT THE LEESBURG MUNI ARPT TO PICK UP AN ACFT THAT HAD BEEN PAINTED. APRX 4 WEEKS EARLIER, THE ACFT HAD BEEN FERRIED THERE FOR THE PAINT JOB. THE PLT SAID THAT DURING TAKEOFF, BOTH ENGS LOST POWER AT ABOUT 300 FT AGL & HE TRIED TO TURN BACK TO THE ARPT. SEVERAL WITNESSES SAID THAT THEY SAW THE ACFT TURNING IN A NOSE HI ATTITUDE, THEN IT SPUN INTO TREES. AN EXAM OF THE CRASH SITE REVEALED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A STEEP DESCENT WHEN IT CRASHED. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FRONT & REAR GASCOLATORS & FUEL INJECTION MANIFOLD VALVES. BOTH OUTBOARD SCUPPER DRAINS WERE CLOGGED WITH DIRT. ALSO, BOTH FUEL CAPS WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE & WOULD ALLOW WATER TO LEAK INTO THE TANKS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12