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19980630015409A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-20 · Soldotna, AK · June 30, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 30, 1998 · 16:15 local
Place
Soldotna, AK
Airport
Soldotna
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2163A
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC98LA087
Reported as
Piper PA20
Reported engine
Lycoming O320C1A
Fatal injuries
0
N2163ARegistered now · Piper PA-20S/N 20-891Airframe modelPiper PA-20Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

(From .19) landing wind pecked up to a quartering tailwind. Downdraft pushed PA30 into trees. Wind was calm on prior landings. (From .4) the certificated private pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings with a friend. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge one day after the accident, the pilot stated that he thought the winds were fairly calm as he approached runway 25. He said that while on final approach the wind increased to an estimated 10 to 15 knots from the west, and a strong downdraft pushed the airplane into trees. In his written statement dated July 27, 1998, the pilot reported that while practicing touch-and-go landings, he stalled the airplane prematurely. The airplane collided with an area of hight vegetation, and came to rest about 30 feet from the end of the runway. The airplane's fuselage, and wing lift struts sustained substantial damage. The pilot indicated there were no preimpact mechanical problems with the airplane. The Soldotna Airport wind conditions at the time of the accident were reported to be 237 degrees (magnetic) at 7 knots. (-23) Mr. Moore was practicing touch and go landings at Soldotna Airport at approx. 1600 on June 30, 1998. The winds were favoring landings to the west (rwy 25). When the accident occurred, Mr. Moore was planning to land on a short dirt strip at the east end of rwy 25. Light turbulence was encountered on final approach while Mr. Moore was flying a shallow glide path. Airspeed was approx. 60 KTS with engine at 1500 RPM. On short final, the landing gear hit the tops of alder bushes near the end of the dirt strip. This caused the airplane to nose over and land in a nose down attitude which caused substantial damage to the landing gear and forward fuselage of the airplane. Mr. Moore attributed his shallow glide path and wind gusts to be the cause of the accident. These two factors along with attempting to land near the end of rwy surface attributed to the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(FROM .19) LANDING WIND PECKED UP TO A QUARTERING TAILWIND. DOWNDRAFT PUSHED PA30 INTO TREES. WIND WAS CALM ON PRIOR LANDINGS. (FROM .4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS WITH A FRIEND. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ONE DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE WINDS WERE FAIRLY CALM AS HE APPROACHED RUNWAY 25. HE SAID THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH THE WIND INCREASED TO AN ESTIMATED 10 TO 15 KNOTS FROM THE WEST, AND A STRONG DOWNDRAFT PUSHED THE AIRPLANE INTO TREES. IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT DATED JULY 27, 1998, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS, HE STALLED THE AIRPLANE PREMATURELY. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH AN AREA OF HIGHT VEGETATION, AND CAME TO REST ABOUT 30 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE, AND WING LIFT STRUTS SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT INDICATED THERE WERE NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE SOLDOTNA AIRPORT WIND CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE 237 DEGREES (MAGNETIC) AT 7 KNOTS. (-23) MR. MOORE WAS PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT SOLDOTNA AIRPORT AT APPROX. 1600 ON JUNE 30, 1998. THE WINDS WERE FAVORING LANDINGS TO THE WEST (RWY 25). WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, MR. MOORE WAS PLANNING TO LAND ON A SHORT DIRT STRIP AT THE EAST END OF RWY 25. LIGHT TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED ON FINAL APPROACH WHILE MR. MOORE WAS FLYING A SHALLOW GLIDE PATH. AIRSPEED WAS APPROX. 60 KTS WITH ENGINE AT 1500 RPM. ON SHORT FINAL, THE LANDING GEAR HIT THE TOPS OF ALDER BUSHES NEAR THE END OF THE DIRT STRIP. THIS CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO NOSE OVER AND LAND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE WHICH CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND FORWARD FUSELAGE OF THE AIRPLANE. MR. MOORE ATTRIBUTED HIS SHALLOW GLIDE PATH AND WIND GUSTS TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. THESE TWO FACTORS ALONG WITH ATTEMPTING TO LAND NEAR THE END OF RWY SURFACE ATTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.

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 ANC98LA087Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSoldotna, AKThe pilot's inadvertent stall of the airplane.Jul 1, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2163A · 1

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

Accident 19780504011059AGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Soldotna, AKStudent plt overreacted during lndg roll.May 4, 1978 · Substantial damage