20080714842349I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · El Valle, Mexico · July 14, 2008

Date: July 14, 2008
Place: El Valle, Mexico
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1331T
Reported as: Piper PA28140
Reported engine: Lycoming O320E3D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 352 total333 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N1331TRegistered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7225468 · Built 1972 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine 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 July 14, 2008, N1331T was attempting to land in El Valle, Mexico; however, the runway was flooded so personnel at the airport waved the pilot toward a highway where they blocked traffic so the pilot could land. It was raining and nearly dark as the pilot attempted to land on the highway. According to the pilot, a small highway sign was not visible on approach and was struck with the left wing of the aircraft. Only minor damage occurred to the wing of the aircraft and no damage to the sign. The pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft sustained no injuries. Following the landing, the aircraft taxied to the airport.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 14, 2008, N1331T WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND IN EL VALLE, MEXICO; HOWEVER, THE RUNWAY WAS FLOODED SO PERSONNEL AT THE AIRPORT WAVED THE PILOT TOWARD A HIGHWAY WHERE THEY BLOCKED TRAFFIC SO THE PILOT COULD LAND. IT WAS RAINING AND NEARLY DARK AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE HIGHWAY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, A SMALL HIGHWAY SIGN WAS NOT VISIBLE ON APPROACH AND WAS STRUCK WITH THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONLY MINOR DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE WING OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NO DAMAGE TO THE SIGN. THE PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. FOLLOWING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO THE AIRPORT.