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20000813005529A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Grass Valley, CA · August 13, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 13, 2000 · 20:57 local
Place
Grass Valley, CA
Airport
Nevada County Airpark
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N16411
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA298
Reported as
Piper PA28180
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A4A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,648 total1,513 in this make and model21 in the last 90 days
N16411Registration cancelled Apr 22, 2003 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-7305246 · Built 1973Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

(-23) The pilot returned from reno and was unaware that the airport was closed at night until further notice. He attempted to turn the radio controlled lights on, but the lights would not operate. They had been disabled and notamed as such. He went around and attempted to land without runway lights. The airplane was lined up with a taxiway. When the pilot realized this he tried to maneuver to the runway. The pilot missed the runway and ran the airplane into a berm. (.4) on a bright night, the pilot attempted to land on runway 07. At the time, the runway lights were not operating. On final approach, the pilot failed to attain alignment with the desired runway and lined up with a parallel taxiway. About 20 feet above the ground the pilot increased engine power attempting to correct the misalignment. However, the airplane touched down in rough terrain next to the runway. Thereafter, the airplane veered into a ditch and came to rest against a berm. The pilot indicated that he was familiar with the airport, having been based there during the previous 10 years. He indicated a lack of awareness that a NOTAM had been recently issued in dicating the airport was closed for night operations. The pilot's airplane contained adequate fuel to proceed to nearby alternate airports.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT RETURNED FROM RENO AND WAS UNAWARE THAT THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED AT NIGHT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. HE ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE RADIO CONTROLLED LIGHTS ON, BUT THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT OPERATE. THEY HAD BEEN DISABLED AND NOTAMED AS SUCH. HE WENT AROUND AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND WITHOUT RUNWAY LIGHTS. THE AIRPLANE WAS LINED UP WITH A TAXIWAY. WHEN THE PILOT REALIZED THIS HE TRIED TO MANEUVER TO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT MISSED THE RUNWAY AND RAN THE AIRPLANE INTO A BERM. (.4) ON A BRIGHT NIGHT, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 07. AT THE TIME, THE RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE NOT OPERATING. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PILOT FAILED TO ATTAIN ALIGNMENT WITH THE DESIRED RUNWAY AND LINED UP WITH A PARALLEL TAXIWAY. ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND THE PILOT INCREASED ENGINE POWER ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT THE MISALIGNMENT. HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN ROUGH TERRAIN NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. THEREAFTER, THE AIRPLANE VEERED INTO A DITCH AND CAME TO REST AGAINST A BERM. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AIRPORT, HAVING BEEN BASED THERE DURING THE PREVIOUS 10 YEARS. HE INDICATED A LACK OF AWARENESS THAT A NOTAM HAD BEEN RECENTLY ISSUED IN DICATING THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED FOR NIGHT OPERATIONS. THE PILOT'S AIRPLANE CONTAINED ADEQUATE FUEL TO PROCEED TO NEARBY ALTERNATE AIRPORTS.

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 LAX00LA298Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGrass Valley, CAThe pilot's failure to attain proper alignment with the runway during approach for landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's inadequate and improper preflight planning and in-flight decision.Aug 14, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N16411 · 1

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

Incident 19940331011639IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Grass Valley, CAPilot lost directional of aircraft on rollout. Left landing gear tire blew on rollout.Mar 31, 1994 · Minor damage