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19950605016889I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Mena, AR · June 5, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 5, 1995 · 18:00 local
Place
Mena, AR
Airport
Intermountain Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6017W
Reported as
Piper PA28140
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
575 total250 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N6017WRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-20017 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: private pilot with instrument rating departed morrilton, Arkansas (bdq) for Mena, Arkansas (M39) on a VFR flight after receiving a weather briefing that forecast VFR conditions with a chance of isolated thunderstorms. Upon arrival at M39 the pilot observed threatening weather conditions approaching the airport and was unable to get landing information (wind direction and velocity) on CTAF. Pilot observed wind sock and decided to attempt a crosswind landing. Just before touchdown aircraft experienced a sudden downdraft that bounced aircraft onto runway and back into air. Pilot made a "go-around" and decided to divert to an airport where he knew better wind conditions existed. While on departure pilot heard a call on CTAF advising, "cherokee that just attempted a landing at Mena, it doesn't look too bad but the wind is strong from the northwest." It was determined later that the individual making that call was not a rated pilot. Based on that radio transmission, the pilot decided to attempt a second approach. While turning final the pilot stated "the turbulence was severe" and he broke off the approach, decided that wind conditions probably exceeded his abilities and he decided that the safest option would be to divert to mount ida, Arkansas (7M3). Landing at mount ida was uneventful. Damage to prop was discovered after landing. This incident is closed.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: PRIVATE PILOT WITH INSTRUMENT RATING DEPARTED MORRILTON, ARKANSAS (BDQ) FOR MENA, ARKANSAS (M39) ON A VFR FLIGHT AFTER RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING THAT FORECAST VFR CONDITIONS WITH A CHANCE OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. UPON ARRIVAL AT M39 THE PILOT OBSERVED THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS APPROACHING THE AIRPORT AND WAS UNABLE TO GET LANDING INFORMATION (WIND DIRECTION AND VELOCITY) ON CTAF. PILOT OBSERVED WIND SOCK AND DECIDED TO ATTEMPT A CROSSWIND LANDING. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN DOWNDRAFT THAT BOUNCED AIRCRAFT ONTO RUNWAY AND BACK INTO AIR. PILOT MADE A "GO-AROUND" AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO AN AIRPORT WHERE HE KNEW BETTER WIND CONDITIONS EXISTED. WHILE ON DEPARTURE PILOT HEARD A CALL ON CTAF ADVISING, "CHEROKEE THAT JUST ATTEMPTED A LANDING AT MENA, IT DOESN'T LOOK TOO BAD BUT THE WIND IS STRONG FROM THE NORTHWEST." IT WAS DETERMINED LATER THAT THE INDIVIDUAL MAKING THAT CALL WAS NOT A RATED PILOT. BASED ON THAT RADIO TRANSMISSION, THE PILOT DECIDED TO ATTEMPT A SECOND APPROACH. WHILE TURNING FINAL THE PILOT STATED "THE TURBULENCE WAS SEVERE" AND HE BROKE OFF THE APPROACH, DECIDED THAT WIND CONDITIONS PROBABLY EXCEEDED HIS ABILITIES AND HE DECIDED THAT THE SAFEST OPTION WOULD BE TO DIVERT TO MOUNT IDA, ARKANSAS (7M3). LANDING AT MOUNT IDA WAS UNEVENTFUL. DAMAGE TO PROP WAS DISCOVERED AFTER LANDING. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED.