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19980311006769A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Dubois, ID · March 11, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 11, 1998 · 13:30 local
Place
Dubois, ID
Airport
Dubois Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2438L
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA98LA043
Reported as
Piper PA38112
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
24 total24 in the last 90 days
N2438LRegistered now · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-79A0703 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

Dragged unplowed runway to determine snow depth. Dipped wheel into snow on go around. Folded gear. 12 inch snow. (.4)the student pilot had reviewed the intended route of flight, including the Dubois airport, previous to departing rexburg on his cross country solo. After landing first at pocatello, and then arco, he proceeded to Dubois where he found the airport and its single runway (16/34) snow covered. The airport/facility directory effective at the time of the accident advised the reader that 'no winter maintenance' was available and the informational diagram of the Dubois airport (which was xeroxed on the back side of the student's flight planner log for the accident trip) advised that the 'airport is closed from November to April because of snow.' The student 'decided to do a fly-by (as a missed landing) about 20'-15' above the runway' and reported that when he 'got to the transition point (he) applied full power and pulled the yoke back. Almost instantly, as the plane rotated, (he) felt drag as a wheel caught in the snow.' As the aircraft decelerated, rolling through the snow, the nose gear collapsed. (-23) 12 inches of snow on runway. Attempting low pass. Gear drug in snow. Gear collapsed.

As the FAA filed it

DRAGGED UNPLOWED RUNWAY TO DETERMINE SNOW DEPTH. DIPPED WHEEL INTO SNOW ON GO AROUND. FOLDED GEAR. 12 INCH SNOW. (.4)THE STUDENT PILOT HAD REVIEWED THE INTENDED ROUTE OF FLIGHT, INCLUDING THE DUBOIS AIRPORT, PREVIOUS TO DEPARTING REXBURG ON HIS CROSS COUNTRY SOLO. AFTER LANDING FIRST AT POCATELLO, AND THEN ARCO, HE PROCEEDED TO DUBOIS WHERE HE FOUND THE AIRPORT AND ITS SINGLE RUNWAY (16/34) SNOW COVERED. THE AIRPORT/FACILITY DIRECTORY EFFECTIVE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT ADVISED THE READER THAT 'NO WINTER MAINTENANCE' WAS AVAILABLE AND THE INFORMATIONAL DIAGRAM OF THE DUBOIS AIRPORT (WHICH WAS XEROXED ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE STUDENT'S FLIGHT PLANNER LOG FOR THE ACCIDENT TRIP) ADVISED THAT THE 'AIRPORT IS CLOSED FROM NOVEMBER TO APRIL BECAUSE OF SNOW.' THE STUDENT 'DECIDED TO DO A FLY-BY (AS A MISSED LANDING) ABOUT 20'-15' ABOVE THE RUNWAY' AND REPORTED THAT WHEN HE 'GOT TO THE TRANSITION POINT (HE) APPLIED FULL POWER AND PULLED THE YOKE BACK. ALMOST INSTANTLY, AS THE PLANE ROTATED, (HE) FELT DRAG AS A WHEEL CAUGHT IN THE SNOW.' AS THE AIRCRAFT DECELERATED, ROLLING THROUGH THE SNOW, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. (-23) 12 INCHES OF SNOW ON RUNWAY. ATTEMPTING LOW PASS. GEAR DRUG IN SNOW. GEAR COLLAPSED.

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 SEA98LA043Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDubois, IDThe student pilot's misjudgment of altitude/clearance and overloading of the nose gear. A contributing factor was the snow-covered turf runway.Mar 11, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2438L · 1

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

Accident 19930312005059ALevel Off Touchdown · Burley, IDConfused on runway 02 and 20. Landed in gusty tailwind,nose first,collapsing the nose gear high wind a factor.Mar 12, 1993 · Substantial damage