20160420020219I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Gainesville, GA · April 20, 2016

Date: April 20, 2016 · 23:45 local
Place: Gainesville, GA
Airport: Lee Gilmer Memorial
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8998N
Reported as: Piper PA-32-300
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 705 total216 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

N8998NRegistered now · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-40881 · Built 1969 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300 Engine 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.

During VFR landing on runway 23, the pilot had just cancelled IFR. While correcting a low and fast situation, pilot lost sight of runway over the nose. When normal pitch attitude was established, aircraft had drifted left and about to touchdown. Struck PAPI closest to runway (approx. 50'). Veered right to get off grass and onto runway. Taxiied to hangar without further incident. Three souls on board all uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

DURING VFR LANDING ON RUNWAY 23, THE PILOT HAD JUST CANCELLED IFR. WHILE CORRECTING A LOW AND FAST SITUATION, PILOT LOST SIGHT OF RUNWAY OVER THE NOSE. WHEN NORMAL PITCH ATTITUDE WAS ESTABLISHED, AIRCRAFT HAD DRIFTED LEFT AND ABOUT TO TOUCHDOWN. STRUCK PAPI CLOSEST TO RUNWAY (APPROX. 50'). VEERED RIGHT TO GET OFF GRASS AND ONTO RUNWAY. TAXIIED TO HANGAR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THREE SOULS ON BOARD ALL UNINJURED.