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19980525023629A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Hanover, PA · May 25, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 25, 1998 · 19:50 local
Place
Hanover, PA
Airport
Hanover Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N43108
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC98LA119
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,487 total1,663 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days
N43108Registered now · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7440116 · Built 1974Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

On MAY25, 1998,ABOUT1950 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300,N43108, was substantially damaged during landing at Hanover Airport (6W6), Hanover,Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the flight between williamsport regional airport (ipt), williamsport, Pennsylvania and potomac airfield (vkx), friendly, Maryland. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilots written statement, he diverted to Hanover Airport due to impending darkness, concerns for weather along the route of flight, and an "already long, frustrating, and somewhat tiring day." Hanover was determined to be nearest airport by utilizing a GPS database. The pilot called on the UNICOM frequency, and received a response that the direction of the active" was runway 27. The pilot entered a downwind and flew a "normal approach." Then, about 3 feet off the ground on final approach, the gear apparently struck a dirt pile on the approach end of the runway. The airplane touched down, initially maintained forward directional control, then veered to the left. It came to rest in a wheat field with a collapsed left main landing gear and substantial left wing damage. (-23) while enroute from williamsport to Washington d.c. Mr. Berstein elected, primarily due to ensuring darkness and concerns regarding the weather, to land at an alternate airport (Hanover, PA) where both weather and light were still adequate. The airport was identified on Mr. Bernstein's GPS database. On an otherwise normal approach, the fixed gear apparently struck a dirt pile on the approach at the end of the runway. This caused the aircraft to veer off the left side of the runway. Mr. Bernstein mistook an area of construction for the runway. The actual runway is turf grass.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY25, 1998,ABOUT1950 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32-300,N43108, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING LANDING AT HANOVER AIRPORT (6W6), HANOVER,PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT BETWEEN WILLIAMSPORT REGIONAL AIRPORT (IPT), WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA AND POTOMAC AIRFIELD (VKX), FRIENDLY, MARYLAND. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOTS WRITTEN STATEMENT, HE DIVERTED TO HANOVER AIRPORT DUE TO IMPENDING DARKNESS, CONCERNS FOR WEATHER ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT, AND AN "ALREADY LONG, FRUSTRATING, AND SOMEWHAT TIRING DAY." HANOVER WAS DETERMINED TO BE NEAREST AIRPORT BY UTILIZING A GPS DATABASE. THE PILOT CALLED ON THE UNICOM FREQUENCY, AND RECEIVED A RESPONSE THAT THE DIRECTION OF THE ACTIVE" WAS RUNWAY 27. THE PILOT ENTERED A DOWNWIND AND FLEW A "NORMAL APPROACH." THEN, ABOUT 3 FEET OFF THE GROUND ON FINAL APPROACH, THE GEAR APPARENTLY STRUCK A DIRT PILE ON THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, INITIALLY MAINTAINED FORWARD DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, THEN VEERED TO THE LEFT. IT CAME TO REST IN A WHEAT FIELD WITH A COLLAPSED LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND SUBSTANTIAL LEFT WING DAMAGE. (-23) WHILE ENROUTE FROM WILLIAMSPORT TO WASHINGTON D.C. MR. BERSTEIN ELECTED, PRIMARILY DUE TO ENSURING DARKNESS AND CONCERNS REGARDING THE WEATHER, TO LAND AT AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT (HANOVER, PA) WHERE BOTH WEATHER AND LIGHT WERE STILL ADEQUATE. THE AIRPORT WAS IDENTIFIED ON MR. BERNSTEIN'S GPS DATABASE. ON AN OTHERWISE NORMAL APPROACH, THE FIXED GEAR APPARENTLY STRUCK A DIRT PILE ON THE APPROACH AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. MR. BERNSTEIN MISTOOK AN AREA OF CONSTRUCTION FOR THE RUNWAY. THE ACTUAL RUNWAY IS TURF GRASS.

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 NYC98LA119Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHanover, PAfailure of the pilot to obtain current information for the divert airfield, and his selection of an unsuitable area for landing. Related factors included: the lower ambient light conditions at dusk, construction on the airfield, and an over-reliance on the…May 25, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N43108 · 1

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

Incident 19840504072439IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Charlotte, NCWhile avoiding a puddle of water nose gear went into poorly marked ditch. Airport manager advised of hazard.May 4, 1984 · Minor damage