20160119000199A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32RT-300 · Melfa, VA · January 19, 2016

Date
January 19, 2016 · 15:15 local
Place
Melfa, VA
Airport
Accomack County
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3046H
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA16CA110
Reported as
Piper PA-32RT-300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
900 total400 in this make and model12 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.

Aircraft was on short final to runway 3 when gusting wind blew aircraft off to side of runway. Winds reported at 310 degrees (80 degree left crosswind) 15 knots gusting to 37 knots at time of landing. Pilot executed a go around, started to climb out when the aircraft stalled and came down off to the left side of the runway. It the continued across the grass, went across a ramp area, partially through a chain link fence, and came to rest between a storage shed and telephone pole. The pilot and his dog evacuated the aircraft, it then caught fire and was completely destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 3 WHEN GUSTING WIND BLEW AIRCRAFT OFF TO SIDE OF RUNWAY. WINDS REPORTED AT 310 DEGREES (80 DEGREE LEFT CROSSWIND) 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 37 KNOTS AT TIME OF LANDING. PILOT EXECUTED A GO AROUND, STARTED TO CLIMB OUT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STALLED AND CAME DOWN OFF TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. IT THE CONTINUED ACROSS THE GRASS, WENT ACROSS A RAMP AREA, PARTIALLY THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE, AND CAME TO REST BETWEEN A STORAGE SHED AND TELEPHONE POLE. THE PILOT AND HIS DOG EVACUATED THE AIRCRAFT, IT THEN CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.