# Incident 19970520023109I: Piper PA34200T, Death Valley, CA, May 20, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 20, 1997, 14:45 local time
- Place: Death Valley, CA
- Airport: Death Valley Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft: N9670K, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9670K-2026-06-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200T
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 240 total, 54 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970520023109I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: THE PILOT AND PASSENGER ORIGINALLY DEPARTED HAYWARD AIRPORT ON THE MORNING OF MAY 20, 1997. AFTER LANDING AT LEE VINING (024) AND BISHOP (BIH), N9670K ARRIVED AT DEATH VALLEY, FURNACE CREEK (L06) AIRPORT. THE PILOT FLEW OVER THE FIELD TO CHECK THE WIND TEE AND SOCK. HE DETERMINED THAT RUNWAY 33 WAS FAVORED AND DESCENDED TO MAKE LEFT TRAFFIC. HE MADE TWO GO AROUNDS BECAUSE HE DECIDED THE FINAL APPROACH WAS TOO HIGH. ON THE THIRD APPROACH, HE WAS A LITTLE HIGH SO HE DROPPED THE NOSE TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE CENTER LINE. THE PILOT BEGAN BRAKING BUT SAW HE WAS NOT GOING TO STOP ON THE RUNWAY, SO DECIDED TO GO OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. THE NOSEWHEEL BURIED IN THE SOFT DIRT AND THE AIRCRAFT WENT UP AND THEN SETTLED BACK DOWN AGAIN WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT BURIED IN THE DIRT. THE INCIDENT CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED.

## Other reports on N9670K (3)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19960329010599I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960329010599I), Mar 29, 1996: Piper PA34200T (N9670K), Pasco, WA, Minor damage. Narrative: on about a 31/2 mile final, I lowered the landing gear @ 120 KIAS & had (3) green gear down & locked lights; saw the nose gear in the side convex…
- [Incident 19930123006839I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930123006839I), Jan 23, 1993: Piper PA34200T (N9670K), Pocatello, ID, Minor damage. Unsafe gear light on climbout. Unable to get green light. Returned. Nose gear collapsed on rollout.
- [Incident 19920226007789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920226007789I), Feb 26, 1992: Piper PA34200T (N9670K), Boise, ID, Minor damage. Pilot taxiing toward ramp saw another aircraft taxiing toward him. Moved left and ran off edge into ditch.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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