What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was unalbe to find the wind sock before landing the aircraft on runway 27 at Centre, Alabama. On landing, the aircraft floated down the runway and touched down about mid field. The pilot started a go around and then aborted the go around. The aircraft ran off the runway and proceeded across a ditch and stopped approximately 1200 feet past the end of runway 27. The left landing gear collapsed and and broke off the aircraft. The left wing and left horizontal stabilizer contacted the ground. Both wings had rinkles in the skin.(.19) on September 16, 1998, about 1730 central daylight time, a Piper PA-24, N7003P, registered to delta romeo corporation, collided with terrain while landing at the Centre Municipal Airport, Centre, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed but not activated for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight originated about 1730 eastern daylight time from the fulton county airport-brown field, atlanta, Georgia. The pilot stated that he overflew the airport but did not locate the windsock. He elected to land on runway 27 and during final approach, the airplane was slightly fast and high. He elected to continue the approach and the airplane floated in ground effect down the runway with a slight tailwind. The airplane was landed long and rolled off the end of the runway, then traveled into a ditch causing the left main landing gear to collapse. He checked the wind sock post crash and it was operational. (.4) the pilot reported that he entered the traffic pattern but did not see the wind sock. He entered the traffic pattern to land on runway 27, and while on final approach, the airplane was high and fast. At the point he decided to go-around, he thought the airplane would be unable to clear trees ahead. He continued the approach and the airplane was landed long, downwind. Unable to stop the airplane, it rolled off the end of the runway and collided with a ditch. A weather observation taken about 25 minutes after the accident from an airport located 25 nautical miles and 240 degrees from the accident airport revealed in part that the wind was from 150 degrees at 4 knots. The pilot further reported that post accident he observed the wind sock and it was operational.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS UNALBE TO FIND THE WIND SOCK BEFORE LANDING THE AIRCRAFT ON RUNWAY 27 AT CENTRE, ALABAMA. ON LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED DOWN THE RUNWAY AND TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT MID FIELD. THE PILOT STARTED A GO AROUND AND THEN ABORTED THE GO AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE RUNWAY AND PROCEEDED ACROSS A DITCH AND STOPPED APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET PAST THE END OF RUNWAY 27. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND AND BROKE OFF THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT WING AND LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER CONTACTED THE GROUND. BOTH WINGS HAD RINKLES IN THE SKIN.(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 16, 1998, ABOUT 1730 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-24, N7003P, REGISTERED TO DELTA ROMEO CORPORATION, COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN WHILE LANDING AT THE CENTRE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CENTRE, ALABAMA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED BUT NOT ACTIVATED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1730 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME FROM THE FULTON COUNTY AIRPORT-BROWN FIELD, ATLANTA, GEORGIA. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE OVERFLEW THE AIRPORT BUT DID NOT LOCATE THE WINDSOCK. HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 27 AND DURING FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE WAS SLIGHTLY FAST AND HIGH. HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH AND THE AIRPLANE FLOATED IN GROUND EFFECT DOWN THE RUNWAY WITH A SLIGHT TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED LONG AND ROLLED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THEN TRAVELED INTO A DITCH CAUSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE. HE CHECKED THE WIND SOCK POST CRASH AND IT WAS OPERATIONAL. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN BUT DID NOT SEE THE WIND SOCK. HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND ON RUNWAY 27, AND WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGH AND FAST. AT THE POINT HE DECIDED TO GO-AROUND, HE THOUGHT THE AIRPLANE WOULD BE UNABLE TO CLEAR TREES AHEAD. HE CONTINUED THE APPROACH AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED LONG, DOWNWIND. UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRPLANE, IT ROLLED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH A DITCH. A WEATHER OBSERVATION TAKEN ABOUT 25 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT FROM AN AIRPORT LOCATED 25 NAUTICAL MILES AND 240 DEGREES FROM THE ACCIDENT AIRPORT REVEALED IN PART THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 150 DEGREES AT 4 KNOTS. THE PILOT FURTHER REPORTED THAT POST ACCIDENT HE OBSERVED THE WIND SOCK AND IT WAS OPERATIONAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7003P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.