20090918018239A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Sibley, IA · September 18, 2009

Date
September 18, 2009 · 14:00 local
Place
Sibley, IA
Airport
Sibley Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N57354
Reported as
Piper PA28180
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
560 total514 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

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.

Upon landing on runway 35, the pilot determined that the aircraft would not stop prior to reaching the end of the runway due to excessive speed. Touchdown occurred at approximately 1500 feet down the 3000 foot runway at approximately 105 knots, with one notch of flaps selected down and calm wind, as stated by the pilot. A go-around maneuver was attempted, and the aircraft gained an altitude of approximately 3 to 4 feet AGL before the main landing gear came in contact with the tall grass located at the end of the runway creating drag on the aircraft causing it to veer left and strike two road signs located along the adjacent highway. This impact with the signs caused the nose wheel to collapse and the pilot's window to shatter, resulting in loss of control of the aircraft and coming to rest nose down in the median strip between the four lanes of traffic.

As the FAA filed it

UPON LANDING ON RUNWAY 35, THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT STOP PRIOR TO REACHING THE END OF THE RUNWAY DUE TO EXCESSIVE SPEED. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 FEET DOWN THE 3000 FOOT RUNWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 105 KNOTS, WITH ONE NOTCH OF FLAPS SELECTED DOWN AND CALM WIND, AS STATED BY THE PILOT. A GO-AROUND MANEUVER WAS ATTEMPTED, AND THE AIRCRAFT GAINED AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 4 FEET AGL BEFORE THE MAIN LANDING GEAR CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE TALL GRASS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY CREATING DRAG ON THE AIRCRAFT CAUSING IT TO VEER LEFT AND STRIKE TWO ROAD SIGNS LOCATED ALONG THE ADJACENT HIGHWAY. THIS IMPACT WITH THE SIGNS CAUSED THE NOSE WHEEL TO COLLAPSE AND THE PILOT'S WINDOW TO SHATTER, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND COMING TO REST NOSE DOWN IN THE MEDIAN STRIP BETWEEN THE FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC.