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20070302002849I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · San Carlos, CA · March 2, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 2, 2007 · 13:55 local
Place
San Carlos, CA
Airport
San Carlos Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6287J
Reported as
Piper PA28181
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
4,500 total3,000 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N6287JRegistered now · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-7690392 · Built 1976Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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 states that he requested the ksql airport tower for a closed-pattern option to do several "touch and go" flights. On his second cycle, the airport became quite busy, with numerous departure and arrival requests. The tower instructed him to extend his downwind and await instruction to turn base. He was out about 4 miles on downwind before receiving clearance to turn base, and at the time he was cleared to land as number 5. He proceeded searching for the four airplanes cleared to land before his aircraft. Approaching the runway, he spotted two other planes ahead of him and realized that he could not land as cleared. As there was no "go around" instruction from the tower, he started to veer left, because a "go around" initiated by him in line with the runway would have run into another plane that had just lifted. That's when he hit the suspended fiberoptic cable, which the bright sun prevented him from spotting. He managed not to crash the plane, advised the tower of his situation, and landed safely.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATES THAT HE REQUESTED THE KSQL AIRPORT TOWER FOR A CLOSED-PATTERN OPTION TO DO SEVERAL "TOUCH AND GO" FLIGHTS. ON HIS SECOND CYCLE, THE AIRPORT BECAME QUITE BUSY, WITH NUMEROUS DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL REQUESTS. THE TOWER INSTRUCTED HIM TO EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND AND AWAIT INSTRUCTION TO TURN BASE. HE WAS OUT ABOUT 4 MILES ON DOWNWIND BEFORE RECEIVING CLEARANCE TO TURN BASE, AND AT THE TIME HE WAS CLEARED TO LAND AS NUMBER 5. HE PROCEEDED SEARCHING FOR THE FOUR AIRPLANES CLEARED TO LAND BEFORE HIS AIRCRAFT. APPROACHING THE RUNWAY, HE SPOTTED TWO OTHER PLANES AHEAD OF HIM AND REALIZED THAT HE COULD NOT LAND AS CLEARED. AS THERE WAS NO "GO AROUND" INSTRUCTION FROM THE TOWER, HE STARTED TO VEER LEFT, BECAUSE A "GO AROUND" INITIATED BY HIM IN LINE WITH THE RUNWAY WOULD HAVE RUN INTO ANOTHER PLANE THAT HAD JUST LIFTED. THAT'S WHEN HE HIT THE SUSPENDED FIBEROPTIC CABLE, WHICH THE BRIGHT SUN PREVENTED HIM FROM SPOTTING. HE MANAGED NOT TO CRASH THE PLANE, ADVISED THE TOWER OF HIS SITUATION, AND LANDED SAFELY.