# Incident 20060429010169I: Piper PA28140, Aiken, SC, April 29, 2006

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 29, 2006, 19:44 local time
- Place: Aiken, SC
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.5316° N, 81.7251° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Aiken, SC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5316&lon=-81.7251&mi=10
- Aircraft: N140HH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N140HH-2012-08-06) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 175 total, 120 in this make and model, 27 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060429010169I

## Narrative

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

(-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.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.