Event WPR12LA051

Factual narrative

On November 30, 2011, at 1930 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-44-180, N2163N, collided with the airport ramp shortly after takeoff and impacted a parked airplane at Boeing Field/King County International Airport (BFI), Seattle, Washington. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, Hillsboro Aviation under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. The certified flight instructor and student pilot sustained minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage from impact damage and the post crash fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight, and a visual flight rules flight plan and had been filed. The airplane was departing for Portland-Hillsboro Airport (HIO), Portland, Oregon.The flight instructor reported that shortly after the airplane took off, she noticed an uncommanded yaw and took over flight control from the student. The flight instructor started to land straight ahead, lowered the nose and reduced power, but decided there was not enough remaining runway to land, and initiated a go-around. The instructor lost control of the airplane, which immediately rolled to the right and collided on the ramp inverted. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the wing section and spar box remained attached and that the empennage remained mostly undamaged. The forward cabin area was partially consumed by fired. Both engines and mounting assemblies were removed from the wing and exhibited fire damage. Flight control continuity was established, although the ailerons exhibited impact damage. The flaps were observed in a retracted position and an examination of the fuel system found no anomalies. Examination of both the left and right engines found thermal discoloration and damage although no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures were revealed that would have precluded normal operation. See the Engine/Airframe Examination report in the public docket. The flight instructor further stated that the engine did not sputter or run rough, and that the turn felt more like a hard roll than a yaw. The flight instructor reported that, shortly after the student pilot conducted the takeoff, she noticed an uncommanded yaw, and she then took control of the airplane. The flight instructor started to land straight ahead, lowered the nose, and reduced power, but then she decided that insufficient runway remained to land, so she initiated a go-around. The airplane rolled sharply right and then descended in an uncontrolled inverted attitude, impacted the ground, and struck a parked airplane. The airplane fuselage and wings were substantially damaged from impact and partially consumed by the postcrash fire. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Instructor/check pilot - C