N698D

On August 30, 2020, about 1200 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 414 airplane, N698D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Ray Community Airport (57D), near Ray, Michigan. The pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane for an annual inspection and installation of automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B), equipment. The preflight inspection and engine run-up were normal, and the brakes operated normally during taxi. The pilot stated that he gently applied full power, everything seemed good, and the airplane started to slowly accelerate. He stated that about a third of the way down the runway, about 50 mph, the airplane suddenly started to steer right, which he attempted to counteract with left rudder input. His heels were on the floor to avoid inadvertent brake application during takeoff. After another 1-2 seconds, he decided to abort the takeoff; he applied the brakes and shut down the engines. At this time, the airplane was already partially in the grass. The airplane traveled into the grass, turned 90º to the left, and the landing gear collapsed.

A witness, who was a pilot with multiengine experience, including experience in twin engine Cessna airplanes, reported seeing the airplane taxi onto runway 28 for departure. He noted that the airplane did not use the displaced threshold as available runway for the takeoff, and it taxied up past the end of the displaced threshold. He reported that the airplane then stopped on the runway and the engines went to full power. The airplane accelerated and started to veer to the left and then overcorrected to the right at which point it was going to exit the runway. The nose of the airplane came up and the airplane attempted to fly in ground effect with both wings “wallowing near stall.” One wing eventually dropped, and the airplane pancaked sideways near the end of runway 28 in the grass field.

The airplane sustained substantial damage including crush damage to its forward fuselage and separation of the nose landing gear. A comprehensive determination of the airplane’s mechanical integrity prior to the accident could not be determined due to the damage to the damage to the forward fuselage and nose landing gear; however, no apparent pre-impact defects were noted.