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20060429010169I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Aiken, SC · April 29, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 29, 2006 · 19:44 local
Place
Aiken, SC
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N140HH
Reported as
Piper PA28140
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E2A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
175 total120 in this make and model27 in the last 90 days
N140HHRegistration cancelled Aug 6, 2012 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7125365 · Built 1971Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine 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) On April 29, 2006 at 1944 local, a Piper, PA-28-140, N140HH experienced an off airport emergency (precautionary) landing, at the savannah river site (nuclear facility), Aiken SC. The pilot reported to augusta approach (approximately 21 miles west) he was experiencing an engine problem and requested steering directions to the nearest airport. Augusta approach directed N140HH to the barnwell airport (kbnl), approximately 8 miles west of the aircraft's reported position. N140HH then descended rapidly from 6500 feet to 1500 feet. The pilot said he had an airport in sight. The airport he thought in sight was actually a railroad classification yard at the savannah river site (nuclear facility). The aircraft landed near a rail track in the rail yard. The landing resulted in minor damage to N140HH: the nose wheel was ripped from its attachment, the right motor mount was bent and the propeller reflected strike damage. The fuselage was not damaged, nor were the wings and empennage. The pilot was not injured. Examination of N140HH revealed the right wing tank was empty of fuel. The left wing tank had 4 1/2 gallons fuel.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APRIL 29, 2006 AT 1944 LOCAL, A PIPER, PA-28-140, N140HH EXPERIENCED AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY (PRECAUTIONARY) LANDING, AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE (NUCLEAR FACILITY), AIKEN SC. THE PILOT REPORTED TO AUGUSTA APPROACH (APPROXIMATELY 21 MILES WEST) HE WAS EXPERIENCING AN ENGINE PROBLEM AND REQUESTED STEERING DIRECTIONS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. AUGUSTA APPROACH DIRECTED N140HH TO THE BARNWELL AIRPORT (KBNL), APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES WEST OF THE AIRCRAFT'S REPORTED POSITION. N140HH THEN DESCENDED RAPIDLY FROM 6500 FEET TO 1500 FEET. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD AN AIRPORT IN SIGHT. THE AIRPORT HE THOUGHT IN SIGHT WAS ACTUALLY A RAILROAD CLASSIFICATION YARD AT THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE (NUCLEAR FACILITY). THE AIRCRAFT LANDED NEAR A RAIL TRACK IN THE RAIL YARD. THE LANDING RESULTED IN MINOR DAMAGE TO N140HH: THE NOSE WHEEL WAS RIPPED FROM ITS ATTACHMENT, THE RIGHT MOTOR MOUNT WAS BENT AND THE PROPELLER REFLECTED STRIKE DAMAGE. THE FUSELAGE WAS NOT DAMAGED, NOR WERE THE WINGS AND EMPENNAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. EXAMINATION OF N140HH REVEALED THE RIGHT WING TANK WAS EMPTY OF FUEL. THE LEFT WING TANK HAD 4 1/2 GALLONS FUEL.