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19980129000699A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-200T · Chinle, AZ · January 29, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 29, 1998 · 04:55 local
Place
Chinle, AZ
Airport
Chinle Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N47744
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA082
Reported as
Piper PA34200T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO360E
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,740 total250 in this make and model
N47744Registration cancelled Apr 1, 2023 · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 34-7870026Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200T

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.

Struck animal on landing roll. (.4) on January 29, 1998, at 0455 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N47744, collided with a horse on the landing roll at the Chinle, Arizona airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the pilot and flight nurse were not injured. Visual meterological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The air ambulance flight had transported a patient to flagstaff, Arizona, and was returning to Chinle as a 14 CFR part 91 positioning flight at the time of the accident. The pilot reported to a federal aviation administration inspector that animals frequently enter into the boundaries of the privte airport through a gate meant for people's use. Prior to landing he over flew the field at 500 feet AGL to verify that the runway was clear, and that both the runway lights and aircraft landing lights were on. The pilot reported that, "it was a very dark night, (and) the moon was not out." On the landing roll, he saw a horse just in front and slighty to his right so he made a left turn to get around it. As he straightened the airplane, a second horse appeared approximately 50 feet straight ahead of him. The pilot further stated that, "I didn't have time to react and we hit the horse with the left wing just left of the engine at about 70 knots." After impact, the airplane deflected to the left towards the fence that surrounded the airport. The pilot pressed the right rudder and brake but entered into a left skid. The left main landing gear then collapsed and the left propeller impacted the ground several times before the nose of the airplane came to a stop. (-23) inspect/talk to airport manager about possibly changing gates to prevent animals from entering airport boundaries.

As the FAA filed it

STRUCK ANIMAL ON LANDING ROLL. (.4) ON JANUARY 29, 1998, AT 0455 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-34-200T, N47744, COLLIDED WITH A HORSE ON THE LANDING ROLL AT THE CHINLE, ARIZONA AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE PILOT AND FLIGHT NURSE WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIR AMBULANCE FLIGHT HAD TRANSPORTED A PATIENT TO FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA, AND WAS RETURNING TO CHINLE AS A 14 CFR PART 91 POSITIONING FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR THAT ANIMALS FREQUENTLY ENTER INTO THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PRIVTE AIRPORT THROUGH A GATE MEANT FOR PEOPLE'S USE. PRIOR TO LANDING HE OVER FLEW THE FIELD AT 500 FEET AGL TO VERIFY THAT THE RUNWAY WAS CLEAR, AND THAT BOTH THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AND AIRCRAFT LANDING LIGHTS WERE ON. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, "IT WAS A VERY DARK NIGHT, (AND) THE MOON WAS NOT OUT." ON THE LANDING ROLL, HE SAW A HORSE JUST IN FRONT AND SLIGHTY TO HIS RIGHT SO HE MADE A LEFT TURN TO GET AROUND IT. AS HE STRAIGHTENED THE AIRPLANE, A SECOND HORSE APPEARED APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET STRAIGHT AHEAD OF HIM. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT, "I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO REACT AND WE HIT THE HORSE WITH THE LEFT WING JUST LEFT OF THE ENGINE AT ABOUT 70 KNOTS." AFTER IMPACT, THE AIRPLANE DEFLECTED TO THE LEFT TOWARDS THE FENCE THAT SURROUNDED THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT PRESSED THE RIGHT RUDDER AND BRAKE BUT ENTERED INTO A LEFT SKID. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR THEN COLLAPSED AND THE LEFT PROPELLER IMPACTED THE GROUND SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. (-23) INSPECT/TALK TO AIRPORT MANAGER ABOUT POSSIBLY CHANGING GATES TO PREVENT ANIMALS FROM ENTERING AIRPORT BOUNDARIES.

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 LAX98LA082Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportChinle, AZthe airport personnel's failure to provide an adequate perimeter barrier to prevent animals from entering the runway area. A factor in the accident was the dark night lighting conditions which hindered the pilot's ability to detect animals on the runway…Jan 29, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N47744 · 1

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

Incident 20210619007899ITakeoff: Climb Out · Pompano Beach, FLAircraft departed kpmp runway 15 and on climb-out pilot reported loss of right engine power and returned to air field. Aircraft was cleared to land on any runway, the aircraft deployed landing gears late overshooting runway 28/10 and drifting to the right of…Jun 19, 2021 · Minor damage