AirMed PA-31 VH-HJE down south of Archerfield
In this case I think it would of had to have some other contributing factor. At such weight after long fuel burn and a single POB it would have to have some serious other drag to prevent it from flying. Considering the issue seems to have started some 10-15 minutes prior to the landing there should have been some radio communication. Apart from the few well known cases where PA31 have failed to perform on one engine there are also many others that have successfully flown on and landed without incident. I've personally had to land one with a feathered prop and it flew fine at medium load, I wouldn't want to test one at max weight on a hot day though...
If this is a case of fuel exhaustion its unforgivable.
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You can see into the back of the aircraft in a few of the scene pictures. It looks pretty empty in the back, unless of course somebody quickly removed evidence, but I doubt that would have been possible in the time available. Although the blue boxes in some of the pictures near the rear of the aircraft may have been the load, so maybe removed for some reason.
* They must have removed the load to get the pilot out looking at the scene, looks like no crew door or too damaged to open. Still eightish eskies would still only get you to mid weight of that size unless they are carrying lead weights or something, otherwise loading them would be a trial in itself if they were much more than 50kg each.
* They must have removed the load to get the pilot out looking at the scene, looks like no crew door or too damaged to open. Still eightish eskies would still only get you to mid weight of that size unless they are carrying lead weights or something, otherwise loading them would be a trial in itself if they were much more than 50kg each.
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Collapsed bladder - Back in the day 
VH CAR (I think?) turbo charged Aztec just north of Cairns, at night! Dead stick into the water everyone swam away. V nice work on that occasion.
VH CAR (I think?) turbo charged Aztec just north of Cairns, at night! Dead stick into the water everyone swam away. V nice work on that occasion.
For initial certification all that was needed for most light twins was to demonstrate a one degree climb gradient at 5,000' PA at ISA with critical engine feathered and at AUW.. Always achieved by test pilot in brand new aircraft after many practice sessions. Having said that some light twins did it easily, others not so much.
No aircraft type will perform under the right circumstance of poor maintenance/poor technique or multiple failures involving damage. Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 529 is a good example of a transport category aircraft engine failure that led to a situation that the aircraft could not maintain altitude.
As for fuel bladder issues, this should be pretty easily covered by proper maintenance and disciplined fuel checks and records.
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You can see into the back of the aircraft in a few of the scene pictures. It looks pretty empty in the back, unless of course somebody quickly removed evidence, but I doubt that would have been possible in the time available. Although the blue boxes in some of the pictures near the rear of the aircraft may have been the load, so maybe removed for some reason.
* They must have removed the load to get the pilot out looking at the scene, looks like no crew door or too damaged to open. Still eightish eskies would still only get you to mid weight of that size unless they are carrying lead weights or something, otherwise loading them would be a trial in itself if they were much more than 50kg each.
* They must have removed the load to get the pilot out looking at the scene, looks like no crew door or too damaged to open. Still eightish eskies would still only get you to mid weight of that size unless they are carrying lead weights or something, otherwise loading them would be a trial in itself if they were much more than 50kg each.
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