20090111001809I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Laurel, MD · January 11, 2009

Date: January 11, 2009 · 17:05 local
Place: Laurel, MD
Airport: Suburban
Phase of flight: Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N6538J
Reported as: Piper PA28180
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A4A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 307 total80 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

N6538JRegistered now · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-4980 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180 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) While landing on runway 03 at Suburban Airport (W18), the pilot descended into the tree tops at the approach end of the runway. At the time (17:05 on 01/11/2009) the pilot reported the winds from 340 @ 11 gusting 15. In addition, the pilot stated it was dusk and he was a bit preoccupied with looking for wildlife which is known to frequent the area. As a result of striking the trees, the leading edge of the right wing sustained damage consisting of approximately 15 small dents along the entire length.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 03 AT SUBURBAN AIRPORT (W18), THE PILOT DESCENDED INTO THE TREE TOPS AT THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. AT THE TIME (17:05 ON 01/11/2009) THE PILOT REPORTED THE WINDS FROM 340 @ 11 GUSTING 15. IN ADDITION, THE PILOT STATED IT WAS DUSK AND HE WAS A BIT PREOCCUPIED WITH LOOKING FOR WILDLIFE WHICH IS KNOWN TO FREQUENT THE AREA. AS A RESULT OF STRIKING THE TREES, THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING SUSTAINED DAMAGE CONSISTING OF APPROXIMATELY 15 SMALL DENTS ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH.