# Incident 20010218005339I: Piper PA32RT300, Sparta, MI, February 18, 2001

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 18, 2001, 00:45 local time
- Place: Sparta, MI
- Airport: Sparta Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.1567° N, 85.7110° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sparta, MI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1567&lon=-85.7110&mi=10
- Aircraft: N31996, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31996) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32RT-300 (registry code 7103215, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32RT300
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 511 total, 120 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010218005339I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) UPON LANDING RW24 (8D4) THE A/C BEGAN TO DRIFT LEFT OF CENTERLINE DUE TO A COMBINATION OF CROSSWIND (MKG-280@10EST) AND SUBSTANTIAL PATCHES OF BLACK ICE ON RUNWAY. DUE TO DRIFTED SNOW, THE A/C TRACKED FURTHER LEFT WITH THE LEFT MAIN GEAR CAME INTO CONTACT WITH A SNOWBANK ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE CONTACT CAUSED THE A/C TRACK TO TURN SHARPLY LEFT RESULTING IN A PROP STRIKE AND SIDELOAD GEAR COLLAPSE.

## Other reports on N31996 (1)

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

- [Accident 19790316004819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790316004819A), Mar 16, 1979: Piper PA32RT300 (N31996), Sidney, OH, Substantial damage. Pilot unable to control aircraft during takeoff, due to restricted steering and frost.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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