20070512007959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Moab, UT · May 12, 2007

Date: May 12, 2007 · 14:32 local
Place: Moab, UT
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8598N
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX07CA165
Reported as: Piper PA28140
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 800 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N8598NRegistration cancelled Jul 18, 2007 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7125424 · Built 1971 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine 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) Pilot landed on an unimproved dirt runway along a river in a canyon located at approximately 5,000 feet MSL. After touchdown the pilot did not stop as he thought the runway surface was soft. He back taxiied the length of the runway to check the surface and did a high speed taxi and decided the surface was adequate to take off from. He back taxiied the length of the runway again and attemped to take off. He encountered loose dirt and was unable to accelerate sufficiently to clear low brush at the end of the runway. The aircraft settled into the river and stopped upright in shallow water.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT LANDED ON AN UNIMPROVED DIRT RUNWAY ALONG A RIVER IN A CANYON LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 5,000 FEET MSL. AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE PILOT DID NOT STOP AS HE THOUGHT THE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS SOFT. HE BACK TAXIIED THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY TO CHECK THE SURFACE AND DID A HIGH SPEED TAXI AND DECIDED THE SURFACE WAS ADEQUATE TO TAKE OFF FROM. HE BACK TAXIIED THE LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY AGAIN AND ATTEMPED TO TAKE OFF. HE ENCOUNTERED LOOSE DIRT AND WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE SUFFICIENTLY TO CLEAR LOW BRUSH AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE RIVER AND STOPPED UPRIGHT IN SHALLOW WATER.

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 LAX07CA165Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportMoab, UTThe pilot's failure to obtain and maintain an adequate airspeed that resulted in a stall/mush. Also causal was the pilot's failure to abort the takeoff in a timely way. A factor in the accident was the high density altitude.May 12, 2007 · Substantial damage