20180725017979A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Avalon, CA · July 25, 2018

Date
July 25, 2018 · 09:30 local
Place
Avalon, CA
Airport
Avalon
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N4747H
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR18LA203
Reported as
Piper PA-32-300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
3
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot

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.

July 25, 2018 N4747H departed kful enroute to kavx at approx 0905 hrs with 3 souls on board, one pilot and 2 los angeles county sheriff deputies. At approximately 0920 hrs the pilot attempted to land at kavx, communicated intentions and obtained weather information from UNICOM and aiport operator. Witnesses state aircraft came in on approach fast and high, pilot elected to go around and attempt landing again. On the second landing attempt aircraft came in high and fast again but pilot was able to get the aircraft on the runway in the last 3rd of the runway. Witnesses state aircraft did not appear to decellerate as would be expected especially after landing long on the runway. As the aircraft was rapidly approaching the end of the runway witnesses state they observed the aircraft engine accellerate and the aircraft pitch up as it departed the end of the runway aircraft then rapidly decended out of view (approximate 200 foot drop off at end of runway) witness which was in the tower at the time dispatched to scene to investigate and was first on the scene and discovered aircraft came to rest on the airport perimeter road. Witness called first responders and assisted souls on the aircraft. All occupants on the aircraft were airlifted to hospital on the mainland due to injuries received in the accident.

As the FAA filed it

JULY 25, 2018 N4747H DEPARTED KFUL ENROUTE TO KAVX AT APPROX 0905 HRS WITH 3 SOULS ON BOARD, ONE PILOT AND 2 LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES. AT APPROXIMATELY 0920 HRS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT KAVX, COMMUNICATED INTENTIONS AND OBTAINED WEATHER INFORMATION FROM UNICOM AND AIPORT OPERATOR. WITNESSES STATE AIRCRAFT CAME IN ON APPROACH FAST AND HIGH, PILOT ELECTED TO GO AROUND AND ATTEMPT LANDING AGAIN. ON THE SECOND LANDING ATTEMPT AIRCRAFT CAME IN HIGH AND FAST AGAIN BUT PILOT WAS ABLE TO GET THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY IN THE LAST 3RD OF THE RUNWAY. WITNESSES STATE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR TO DECELLERATE AS WOULD BE EXPECTED ESPECIALLY AFTER LANDING LONG ON THE RUNWAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE END OF THE RUNWAY WITNESSES STATE THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE ACCELLERATE AND THE AIRCRAFT PITCH UP AS IT DEPARTED THE END OF THE RUNWAY AIRCRAFT THEN RAPIDLY DECENDED OUT OF VIEW (APPROXIMATE 200 FOOT DROP OFF AT END OF RUNWAY) WITNESS WHICH WAS IN THE TOWER AT THE TIME DISPATCHED TO SCENE TO INVESTIGATE AND WAS FIRST ON THE SCENE AND DISCOVERED AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE AIRPORT PERIMETER ROAD. WITNESS CALLED FIRST RESPONDERS AND ASSISTED SOULS ON THE AIRCRAFT. ALL OCCUPANTS ON THE AIRCRAFT WERE AIRLIFTED TO HOSPITAL ON THE MAINLAND DUE TO INJURIES RECEIVED IN THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

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