# Accident 19980129000699A: Piper PA34200T, Chinle, AZ, January 29, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 29, 1998, 04:55 local time
- Place: Chinle, AZ
- Airport: Chinle Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.2304° N, 109.5692° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.2304&lon=-109.5692&mi=10
- Aircraft: N47744, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N47744-2023-04-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200T (registry code 7103406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200T
- Reported engine: CONT TSIO360E
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,740 total, 250 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA082](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA082) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980129000699A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 LAX98LA082](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA082), Jan 29, 1998: Piper PA-34-200T (N47744), Chinle, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: the 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…

## Other reports on N47744 (1)

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

- [Incident 20210619007899I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210619007899I), Jun 19, 2021: Piper PA-34-200T (N47744), Pompano Beach, FL, Minor damage. Aircraft 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…

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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