OpenAirDocs.org

20040814016519I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Beaver Falls, PA · August 14, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 14, 2004 · 15:42 local
Place
Beaver Falls, PA
Airport
Beaver County Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
SKNS
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N520PU
Reported as
Piper PA28161
Reported engine
Lycoming O320D3G
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
17 total17 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days
N520PURegistration cancelled Oct 25, 2005 · Piper PA-28-161S/N 2841184 · Built 1989Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161Engine 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) The pilot wrote: my plan was to get off at delta (taxiway) because I didn't want to try to brake too hard in order to get off at charlie (taxiway). I felt the plane start to shift a little to the left and I didn't feel like I was slowing down which made me think I was pressing the rudders, but I definitely wasn't because my toes were on the brakes only, and my heels were nowhere near the rudder pedals. I felt the plane start to shift to the left but I wasn't in a turn, I was more like sliding. I tried to press the right rudder to gain back control but the brakes felt like they weren't slowing me down. I felt the plane try to straighten out but I still didn't have the control. I saw the runway lights ahead of me and I tried to miss them if I was going into the grass anyway, but I was still easing on the brakes so as not to flip the plane in the grass. The brakes did nothing for me in the grass so I just coasted and helplessly watched as N520PU settled in the bushes. I pulled the power and turned off the key. I turned off the fuel pump, lights, alternator, and master. I let the tower know I was fine and got out of the aircraft. I made sure I was okay, shook up but not hurt.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT WROTE: MY PLAN WAS TO GET OFF AT DELTA (TAXIWAY) BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO BRAKE TOO HARD IN ORDER TO GET OFF AT CHARLIE (TAXIWAY). I FELT THE PLANE START TO SHIFT A LITTLE TO THE LEFT AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I WAS SLOWING DOWN WHICH MADE ME THINK I WAS PRESSING THE RUDDERS, BUT I DEFINITELY WASN'T BECAUSE MY TOES WERE ON THE BRAKES ONLY, AND MY HEELS WERE NOWHERE NEAR THE RUDDER PEDALS. I FELT THE PLANE START TO SHIFT TO THE LEFT BUT I WASN'T IN A TURN, I WAS MORE LIKE SLIDING. I TRIED TO PRESS THE RIGHT RUDDER TO GAIN BACK CONTROL BUT THE BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY WEREN'T SLOWING ME DOWN. I FELT THE PLANE TRY TO STRAIGHTEN OUT BUT I STILL DIDN'T HAVE THE CONTROL. I SAW THE RUNWAY LIGHTS AHEAD OF ME AND I TRIED TO MISS THEM IF I WAS GOING INTO THE GRASS ANYWAY, BUT I WAS STILL EASING ON THE BRAKES SO AS NOT TO FLIP THE PLANE IN THE GRASS. THE BRAKES DID NOTHING FOR ME IN THE GRASS SO I JUST COASTED AND HELPLESSLY WATCHED AS N520PU SETTLED IN THE BUSHES. I PULLED THE POWER AND TURNED OFF THE KEY. I TURNED OFF THE FUEL PUMP, LIGHTS, ALTERNATOR, AND MASTER. I LET THE TOWER KNOW I WAS FINE AND GOT OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. I MADE SURE I WAS OKAY, SHOOK UP BUT NOT HURT.