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20120714016009A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Elkader, IA · July 14, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 14, 2012 · 10:29 local
Place
Elkader, IA
Airport
Elkader
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N1127X
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN12LA441
Reported as
Piper PA-32-300
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
287 total80 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days
N1127XRegistration cancelled Aug 14, 2013 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7540146 · Built 1975Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

The VFR rated pilot recieved a weather briefing at 1245Z with a planned departure time of 1400Z from osceola WI (oeo) to Elkader IA (I27). The briefer stated, VFR is not recommeded, there was an AIRMET for isolated IFR conditions and isolated thunderstorms in the area. Forecasts were for conditions to improve in the afternoon. Witness statements and radar images indicate that heavy rain, thunder, and lighting was present at the time of the accident. Evidence shows the aircraft touched down with less than one half of runway remaining. The aircraft left the runway and hit the trees off of the south end of runway 17. The aircraft came to rest down a steep embankment amongst the trees. The aircraft was in a nose down position facing the opposite direction of flight. All three blades of the propeller were twisted, indicating that the engine was producing power at the time of the impact. The throttle and propeller levers were in the full forward position. The flaps were extended to the full position. The magnetos were in the both position.

As the FAA filed it

THE VFR RATED PILOT RECIEVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AT 1245Z WITH A PLANNED DEPARTURE TIME OF 1400Z FROM OSCEOLA WI (OEO) TO ELKADER IA (I27). THE BRIEFER STATED, VFR IS NOT RECOMMEDED, THERE WAS AN AIRMET FOR ISOLATED IFR CONDITIONS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA. FORECASTS WERE FOR CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE IN THE AFTERNOON. WITNESS STATEMENTS AND RADAR IMAGES INDICATE THAT HEAVY RAIN, THUNDER, AND LIGHTING WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. EVIDENCE SHOWS THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN WITH LESS THAN ONE HALF OF RUNWAY REMAINING. THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE RUNWAY AND HIT THE TREES OFF OF THE SOUTH END OF RUNWAY 17. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT AMONGST THE TREES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION FACING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT. ALL THREE BLADES OF THE PROPELLER WERE TWISTED, INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF THE IMPACT. THE THROTTLE AND PROPELLER LEVERS WERE IN THE FULL FORWARD POSITION. THE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED TO THE FULL POSITION. THE MAGNETOS WERE IN THE BOTH POSITION.

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 CEN12LA441Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportElkader, IAThe pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point while landing on the wet grass runway.Jul 14, 2012 · Substantial damage