# Accident 19970928045409A: Piper PA32300, Stuart Island, WA, September 28, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 28, 1997, 10:45 local time
- Place: Stuart Island, WA
- Airport: Stuart Island Airpark Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 48.5291° N, 123.0604° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.5291&lon=-123.0604&mi=10
- Aircraft: N55629, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N55629) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1A5
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 830 total, 55 in this make and model, 16 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97LA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA220) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970928045409A

## Narrative

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

(.4) ON SEPTEMBER 28, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 1045 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32-300, N55629, DEPARTED THE RUNWAY DURING THE LANDING ROLL AT STUART ISLAND AIRPORT, STUART ISLAND, WASHINGTON. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED, BUT THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY TOLEDO FLYING CLUB, INC., RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL PLEASURE FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED TOLEDO, WASHINGTON ABOUT 90 MINUTES EARLIER, WAS BEING OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED, AND THERE WAS NO REPORT OF AN ELT ACTIVATION. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW THERE WOULD BE A 10 KNOT TAILWIND, AND THAT THE GRASS AIRSTRIP WOULD BE WET, HE ELECTED TO LAND TO THE WEST ON THE 2,100 FOOT LONG RUNWAY. HE SAID THAT HE MADE THAT DECISION BECAUSE THE STRIP SLOPES UPHILL TO THE WEST, AND BECAUSE IT WAS HIS "...PREFERRED LANDING DIRECTION TO THE WEST." ON THE FIRST APPROACH, HE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND BECAUSE HE WAS TOO HIGH. ON THE SECOND APPROACH, HE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT ONE-QUARTER OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY, RETRACTED THE FLAPS, AND APPLIED HEAVY BRAKING. BY THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT HAD TRAVELED ABOUT HALF-WAY DOWN THE     RUNWAY, THE PILOT REALIZED THAT, EVEN WITH HEAVY BRAKING, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL AFTER IT EXITED THE END OF THE RUNWAY. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY THERE WAS A DOWNHILL OVERRUN THAT ENDS IN THE WATER, THE PILOT ELECTED TO TURN OFF THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY INTO AN AREA OF HIGH GRASS AND A SLIGHT UPHILL SLOPE. AFTER EXITING THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT PASSED OVER A SMALL DRAINAGE DITCH IN THE GRASSY AREA, AND ITS NOSE GEAR AND RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. AS THE AIRCRAFT SLID ACROSS THE TERRAIN, BOTH WINGS SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE DID NOT REPORT THIS EVENT TO THE SAFETY BOARD BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE DAMAGE WAS NOT SUBSTANTIAL. OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO LOOKED AT THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE ACCIDENT DETERMINED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS SUBSTANTIAL, AND REPORTED IT TO THE FAA. THE NTSB BECAME AWARE OF THE ACCIDENT ON OCTOBER 13, 1997, AND FINAL DETERMINATION OF THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE WAS MADE ON NOVEMBER 10, 1997.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA97LA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97LA220), Sep 28, 1997: Piper PA-32-300 (N55629), Stuart Island, WA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's improper decision to land on a wet grass runway with a ten knot tailwind. Factors were the wet runway surface and tailwind.

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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