What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 26, 2017, about 1402 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N3033T, hit a runway sign after going off the side of runway 05 following landing at the Purdue University Airport (laf), IN west Lafayette, Indiana. The pilot and the three passengers were uninjured in the incident. The aircraft is registered to Purdue pilots inc., and operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 as a general aviation flight. The laf 13:54 am weather near the time of the incident was reported as wind 070 degrees at five knots, visibility 10 nautical miles, ceiling 4800 scattered, temperature 23 degrees c, altimeter 30.27.
The pilot stated the tower instructed him to enter the traffic pattern from the south for landing on runway 5. On final approach, he selected full flaps and flew an approach speed of 70 knots. The pilot stated he entered the landing flare at about 70-80 knots and landed within the runway touch down zone. As he applied the brakes during the roll out he said the brakes were not slowing the aircraft down. He applied more brake pedal pressure and the aircraft started to veer to the left toward the side of the runway. The pilot was unable to keep the aircraft on the runway. It exited the runway and ran into a runway box sign.
The pilot stated he did flight planning and calculated the weight and balance for the aircraft before the flight. A copy of the weight and balance calculation was given to the inspector during the pilot interview. The pilots calculation showed the aircraft was under the aircrafts maximum takeoff weight, however he used an incorrect aircraft basic empty weight (bew). Using the correct bew put the aircraft 60 pounds over the maximum certified takeoff weight. The pilot stated this was his first flight in the cherokee with three passengers since his aircraft checkout. His first flight in the PA-28-161 was a 3-hour checkout flight with a flight instructor on August 16, 2017. The pilots log book entry shows "power on and power off, steep turns, pattern and a cross country to kbmi" and is signed by the CFI. Two hours and two tenths of the total flight time was cross country time. There was not a logbook entry of the number or types of landings and takeoffs performed. The pilots logbook did not have any entry showing ground instruction given by the flight instructor with the August 16, 2017 cherokee PA-28-161 checkout.
The 457-foot skid pattern of the left tire started approximately 1800 feet from the end of runway 5 and the 241-foot skid pattern of the right tire started approximately 2016 feet from the end of runway 5. Both skid patterns continued off the runway and into the grass. The aircraft went off the side of runway 5 just before taxi way B3 and collided with a runway light box, puncturing the bottom of the left wing fuel tank. The usable length of runway 5 is 4225 feet. Examination of the aircrafts tires showed all three tires were inflated, both main tires had even tread wear and there were no flat spots. The right fuel tank level was below the 17-gallon fuel tab and the left tank was almost empty.
Inspection of the aircraft's brakes showed that both wheel brakes operated normally using the toe brakes and the parking brake.
Due to the minimal damage to the aircraft and no serious injuries, this was classified as an accident.
Compliance philosophy action
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 26, 2017, ABOUT 1402 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N3033T, HIT A RUNWAY SIGN AFTER GOING OFF THE SIDE OF RUNWAY 05 FOLLOWING LANDING AT THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT (LAF), IN WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA. THE PILOT AND THE THREE PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED IN THE INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT IS REGISTERED TO PURDUE PILOTS INC., AND OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 AS A GENERAL AVIATION FLIGHT. THE LAF 13:54 AM WEATHER NEAR THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED AS WIND 070 DEGREES AT FIVE KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 NAUTICAL MILES, CEILING 4800 SCATTERED, TEMPERATURE 23 DEGREES C, ALTIMETER 30.27.
THE PILOT STATED THE TOWER INSTRUCTED HIM TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FROM THE SOUTH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 5. ON FINAL APPROACH, HE SELECTED FULL FLAPS AND FLEW AN APPROACH SPEED OF 70 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED HE ENTERED THE LANDING FLARE AT ABOUT 70-80 KNOTS AND LANDED WITHIN THE RUNWAY TOUCH DOWN ZONE. AS HE APPLIED THE BRAKES DURING THE ROLL OUT HE SAID THE BRAKES WERE NOT SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. HE APPLIED MORE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO VEER TO THE LEFT TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY. IT EXITED THE RUNWAY AND RAN INTO A RUNWAY BOX SIGN.
THE PILOT STATED HE DID FLIGHT PLANNING AND CALCULATED THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE FOR THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE THE FLIGHT. A COPY OF THE WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION WAS GIVEN TO THE INSPECTOR DURING THE PILOT INTERVIEW. THE PILOTS CALCULATION SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNDER THE AIRCRAFTS MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT, HOWEVER HE USED AN INCORRECT AIRCRAFT BASIC EMPTY WEIGHT (BEW). USING THE CORRECT BEW PUT THE AIRCRAFT 60 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM CERTIFIED TAKEOFF WEIGHT. THE PILOT STATED THIS WAS HIS FIRST FLIGHT IN THE CHEROKEE WITH THREE PASSENGERS SINCE HIS AIRCRAFT CHECKOUT. HIS FIRST FLIGHT IN THE PA-28-161 WAS A 3-HOUR CHECKOUT FLIGHT WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ON AUGUST 16, 2017. THE PILOTS LOG BOOK ENTRY SHOWS "POWER ON AND POWER OFF, STEEP TURNS, PATTERN AND A CROSS COUNTRY TO KBMI" AND IS SIGNED BY THE CFI. TWO HOURS AND TWO TENTHS OF THE TOTAL FLIGHT TIME WAS CROSS COUNTRY TIME. THERE WAS NOT A LOGBOOK ENTRY OF THE NUMBER OR TYPES OF LANDINGS AND TAKEOFFS PERFORMED. THE PILOTS LOGBOOK DID NOT HAVE ANY ENTRY SHOWING GROUND INSTRUCTION GIVEN BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WITH THE AUGUST 16, 2017 CHEROKEE PA-28-161 CHECKOUT.
THE 457-FOOT SKID PATTERN OF THE LEFT TIRE STARTED APPROXIMATELY 1800 FEET FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 5 AND THE 241-FOOT SKID PATTERN OF THE RIGHT TIRE STARTED APPROXIMATELY 2016 FEET FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 5. BOTH SKID PATTERNS CONTINUED OFF THE RUNWAY AND INTO THE GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE SIDE OF RUNWAY 5 JUST BEFORE TAXI WAY B3 AND COLLIDED WITH A RUNWAY LIGHT BOX, PUNCTURING THE BOTTOM OF THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK. THE USABLE LENGTH OF RUNWAY 5 IS 4225 FEET. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFTS TIRES SHOWED ALL THREE TIRES WERE INFLATED, BOTH MAIN TIRES HAD EVEN TREAD WEAR AND THERE WERE NO FLAT SPOTS. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK LEVEL WAS BELOW THE 17-GALLON FUEL TAB AND THE LEFT TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY.
INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S BRAKES SHOWED THAT BOTH WHEEL BRAKES OPERATED NORMALLY USING THE TOE BRAKES AND THE PARKING BRAKE.
DUE TO THE MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NO SERIOUS INJURIES, THIS WAS CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT.
COMPLIANCE PHILOSOPHY ACTION