Piper PA-30 accident near Amarillo, Texas, February 17, 2010
On February 17, 2010 at about 1:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N8501Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Amarillo, Texas (Tradewind Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to detect water contaminated fuel, which resulted in a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the worn and loose fuel caps, which allowed water to enter the fuel tanks.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2010 · about 1:08 pm local time · cases in 2010
- Place
- Amarillo, Texas · Tradewind Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8501Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-1660
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had just departed when, about one minute after takeoff, it made a turn as if to return to the airport at about 900 feet above ground level. A witness observed the airplane flying low before it impacted a warehouse building. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed water in the fuel recovered from both the left and right engine fuel systems. Both auxiliary fuel tank caps could be removed without releasing the expansion tab and the left main fuel tank cap could be removed without unscrewing the release mechanism, indicative that the caps were loose and worn. The airplane had been exposed to accumulating snow the week prior to the accident. An examination of the airplane's remaining systems revealed no anomalies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight
- Fuel contamination during initial climb defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Snow › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Fatigue/wear/corrosion other cases naming the fuel system
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,453 hours in all; 430 in this make and model; 9 in the last 30 days; 2,288 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TDW Amarillo TX
- Destination: ALM Alamagordo NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 5,098 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:53 pm from AMA, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
14 documents, released by the NTSB on September 13, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Retention / Release of Wreckage Form | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation - Co Owner | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversation - Airport Manager | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Airport Fuel Usage Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Witness Statements | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Record of Conversation - FAA Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Fuel Receipt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo - Airplane Wreckage Looking West | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Photo - Wreckage Looking South | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Photo - Wreckage, Looking North | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Photo - Fuel Samples from Fuel Sumps | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 14 | Photo - Fuel Recovered from Right Engine Driven Fuel Pump | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8501Y: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche 880 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES 1,708 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 SERIES 1,708 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Tradewind Airport · nearest airport
- Alamogordo-White Sands Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,064 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,966 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN10FA122.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.