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20040211001289A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-20 · West Ossippee, NH · February 11, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 11, 2004 · 18:25 local
Place
West Ossippee, NH
Airport
Windsock Village Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2634A
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD04CA010
Reported as
Piper PA20
Reported engine
Lycoming O290*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
24,000 total250 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days
N2634ARegistration cancelled Jun 8, 2017 · Piper PA-20S/N 20-947 · Built 1952Airframe 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.

(-23) At approximately 1830 hrs. (Local time), pilot and only occupant of N2634A, was returning from great barrington, MA., and was commencing a visual approach to runway 33 at the Windsock Village Airport (pvt), new hampshire identifier NH69. Pilot stated that the pilot controlled r/w lights were on, pilot estimated winds at 350 degrees 10 to 15 knots. Pilot stated that the approach and touchdown were normal, during the roll-out following the landing the pilot lost visual reference with the r/w lights, because of the snow banks obscuring the r/w lights. Pilot did not detect the left deviation from the runway centerline and collided with the snowbank to the left side of the runway. The Windsock Village Airport is a turf surface runway and at this time of year was covered with packed snow and the snow banks that surrounds the runway were approximately four to six feet in height, it was easy to see that when the pilot landed and was unable to see any runway lights, that everything in front of the aircraft's landing light was all white.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 1830 HRS. (LOCAL TIME), PILOT AND ONLY OCCUPANT OF N2634A, WAS RETURNING FROM GREAT BARRINGTON, MA., AND WAS COMMENCING A VISUAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 33 AT THE WINDSOCK VILLAGE AIRPORT (PVT), NEW HAMPSHIRE IDENTIFIER NH69. PILOT STATED THAT THE PILOT CONTROLLED R/W LIGHTS WERE ON, PILOT ESTIMATED WINDS AT 350 DEGREES 10 TO 15 KNOTS. PILOT STATED THAT THE APPROACH AND TOUCHDOWN WERE NORMAL, DURING THE ROLL-OUT FOLLOWING THE LANDING THE PILOT LOST VISUAL REFERENCE WITH THE R/W LIGHTS, BECAUSE OF THE SNOW BANKS OBSCURING THE R/W LIGHTS. PILOT DID NOT DETECT THE LEFT DEVIATION FROM THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND COLLIDED WITH THE SNOWBANK TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE WINDSOCK VILLAGE AIRPORT IS A TURF SURFACE RUNWAY AND AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WAS COVERED WITH PACKED SNOW AND THE SNOW BANKS THAT SURROUNDS THE RUNWAY WERE APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO SIX FEET IN HEIGHT, IT WAS EASY TO SEE THAT WHEN THE PILOT LANDED AND WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANY RUNWAY LIGHTS, THAT EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LANDING LIGHT WAS ALL WHITE.

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 IAD04CA010Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportWest Ossipee, NHThe pilot's inability to maintain runway alignment during the landing rollout. Factors included the night lighting conditions and the snow banks that prevented visual reference to the runway lights.Feb 11, 2004 · Substantial damage