19970606047209A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Walton, NY · June 6, 1997

Date: June 6, 1997 · 15:00 local
Place: Walton, NY
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N38758
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC97LA107
Reported as: Piper PA28181
Fatal injuries: 0

N38758Registration cancelled Jan 5, 1998 · Piper PA-28-181S/N 287790583 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181

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.

(-16) Pilot was flying to Walton airport. Called airport owner and was given description and latitude/longitude of airport. Used GPS to help find airport, but got confused by terrain. Made and approach to what he thought was airport, aircraft too high and he went around. Came back second time, established on final, realized he was not at an airport. Went around again, but could not outclimb raising terrain. Flaps may have been brought up too slowly. privacy data omitted

As the FAA filed it

(-16) PILOT WAS FLYING TO WALTON AIRPORT. CALLED AIRPORT OWNER AND WAS GIVEN DESCRIPTION AND LATITUDE/LONGITUDE OF AIRPORT. USED GPS TO HELP FIND AIRPORT, BUT GOT CONFUSED BY TERRAIN. MADE AND APPROACH TO WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS AIRPORT, AIRCRAFT TOO HIGH AND HE WENT AROUND. CAME BACK SECOND TIME, ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, REALIZED HE WAS NOT AT AN AIRPORT. WENT AROUND AGAIN, BUT COULD NOT OUTCLIMB RAISING TERRAIN. FLAPS MAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP TOO SLOWLY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC97LA107Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWalton, NYThe pilot's improper inflight decision to establish an approach without confirming the landing area, and his delayed go-around, which resulted in the inflight collision with trees.Jun 6, 1997 · Destroyed