What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) A Piper cheyenne PA-42-720, N66MT, piloted by Mr. William dougherty and the owner Mr. Henry manatt both rated pilots, sustained substantial damage during an ILS approach for landing on runway 01 at the Ames Municipal Airport, Ames, Iowa. The airplane struck a power pole, subsequent power lines, and then impacted the terrain short of the airport. This was the fourth and next to the last flight leg for the day that began with a scheduled departure time of 0700 that morning. The crew left newton, IA, with Mr. Manatt as PIC for the first two legs to goodland, KS, and scottsdale, AZ. Mr. Dougherty was PIC for the nest legs to denver, co and Ames, IA. They flew over 2057 nautical miles that day. The weather conditions at Ames, IA, were IMC with visibility better than a 1 1/4 mile. Mr. Dougherty states that he had ground contact for most of the approach, he also says he was on the glide slope. The aircraft first impacted a telephone pole along a north/south road approximately 3/4 nautical mile south of the runway. This was the cheyenne's right wing at 26 foot above the ground. Then the aircraft descended underneath the next set of wires approximately 800 feet further north that ran along an east/west road. This set of wires contacted the vertical stabilizer and acted as an arresting cable placing the aircraft in nose high landing attitude. The initial ground contact was not hard enough to damage the main gear but the tracks in the snow indicate the nose gear collapsed with initial contact. Shortly thereafter, the right main collapsed and caused the aircraft to yaw to the right, coming to rest on a heading of approximately 160 degrees and 0.5 nautical mile south of the runway.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) A PIPER CHEYENNE PA-42-720, N66MT, PILOTED BY MR. WILLIAM DOUGHERTY AND THE OWNER MR. HENRY MANATT BOTH RATED PILOTS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN ILS APPROACH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 01 AT THE AMES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, AMES, IOWA. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A POWER POLE, SUBSEQUENT POWER LINES, AND THEN IMPACTED THE TERRAIN SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. THIS WAS THE FOURTH AND NEXT TO THE LAST FLIGHT LEG FOR THE DAY THAT BEGAN WITH A SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME OF 0700 THAT MORNING. THE CREW LEFT NEWTON, IA, WITH MR. MANATT AS PIC FOR THE FIRST TWO LEGS TO GOODLAND, KS, AND SCOTTSDALE, AZ. MR. DOUGHERTY WAS PIC FOR THE NEST LEGS TO DENVER, CO AND AMES, IA. THEY FLEW OVER 2057 NAUTICAL MILES THAT DAY. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT AMES, IA, WERE IMC WITH VISIBILITY BETTER THAN A 1 1/4 MILE. MR. DOUGHERTY STATES THAT HE HAD GROUND CONTACT FOR MOST OF THE APPROACH, HE ALSO SAYS HE WAS ON THE GLIDE SLOPE. THE AIRCRAFT FIRST IMPACTED A TELEPHONE POLE ALONG A NORTH/SOUTH ROAD APPROXIMATELY 3/4 NAUTICAL MILE SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY. THIS WAS THE CHEYENNE'S RIGHT WING AT 26 FOOT ABOVE THE GROUND. THEN THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED UNDERNEATH THE NEXT SET OF WIRES APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET FURTHER NORTH THAT RAN ALONG AN EAST/WEST ROAD. THIS SET OF WIRES CONTACTED THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND ACTED AS AN ARRESTING CABLE PLACING THE AIRCRAFT IN NOSE HIGH LANDING ATTITUDE. THE INITIAL GROUND CONTACT WAS NOT HARD ENOUGH TO DAMAGE THE MAIN GEAR BUT THE TRACKS IN THE SNOW INDICATE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WITH INITIAL CONTACT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE RIGHT MAIN COLLAPSED AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO YAW TO THE RIGHT, COMING TO REST ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 160 DEGREES AND 0.5 NAUTICAL MILE SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.