What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Prior to the accident flight, the pilot had not flown for over 6 years. He did not hold a current medical certificate and had not accomplished a flight review within the preceeding 24 month period. His most recent experience with the aircraft was to occasionally taxi it around the airpark. On the day of the accident, for unexplained reasons, the pilot decided to fly the aircraft. He took off and made an uneventful approach/full stop landing on runway 18. He then took off on runway 36, entering the traffic pattern for landing on that runway. Runway 36 is 1956X50 feet, with a total width of 165 feet including turf. Prior to landing, the pilot said the winds reported by allentown TRACON were 130/02; however, five minutes before the landing accident, the allentown METAR showed 23011G19KT, which computes to a maximum 12KT tailwind and a 15KT crosswind. Allentown is approximately 11 NM sw of N43. The pilot reported his turn to final placed the aircraft in position to land long and fast. He landed anyway, but as the aircraft approached the end of runway 36, the pilot steered it on to the left side turf and discontinued braking. The aircraft went past the end of the runway, dropped 6 feet down a steep embankment, struck an asphalt road knocking the nose wheel assembly off the aircraft and damaging the right wing end spar, finally coming to rest on the lawn beside a bank building which was across the road.
As the FAA filed it
PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT HAD NOT FLOWN FOR OVER 6 YEARS. HE DID NOT HOLD A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AND HAD NOT ACCOMPLISHED A FLIGHT REVIEW WITHIN THE PRECEEDING 24 MONTH PERIOD. HIS MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE WITH THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO OCCASIONALLY TAXI IT AROUND THE AIRPARK. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, FOR UNEXPLAINED REASONS, THE PILOT DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT. HE TOOK OFF AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL APPROACH/FULL STOP LANDING ON RUNWAY 18. HE THEN TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 36, ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR LANDING ON THAT RUNWAY. RUNWAY 36 IS 1956X50 FEET, WITH A TOTAL WIDTH OF 165 FEET INCLUDING TURF. PRIOR TO LANDING, THE PILOT SAID THE WINDS REPORTED BY ALLENTOWN TRACON WERE 130/02; HOWEVER, FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THE LANDING ACCIDENT, THE ALLENTOWN METAR SHOWED 23011G19KT, WHICH COMPUTES TO A MAXIMUM 12KT TAILWIND AND A 15KT CROSSWIND. ALLENTOWN IS APPROXIMATELY 11 NM SW OF N43. THE PILOT REPORTED HIS TURN TO FINAL PLACED THE AIRCRAFT IN POSITION TO LAND LONG AND FAST. HE LANDED ANYWAY, BUT AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE END OF RUNWAY 36, THE PILOT STEERED IT ON TO THE LEFT SIDE TURF AND DISCONTINUED BRAKING. THE AIRCRAFT WENT PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY, DROPPED 6 FEET DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT, STRUCK AN ASPHALT ROAD KNOCKING THE NOSE WHEEL ASSEMBLY OFF THE AIRCRAFT AND DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING END SPAR, FINALLY COMING TO REST ON THE LAWN BESIDE A BANK BUILDING WHICH WAS ACROSS THE ROAD.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.