20180925019239A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Smith AEROSTAR 601P · Heber, UT · September 25, 2018

Date: September 25, 2018 · 12:35 local
Place: Heber, UT
Airport: Heber City Municipal - Russ Mcdonal
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N90339
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR18LA272
Reported as: Smith Aerostar 601P
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 88,887 total1,828 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days

N90339Registered now · Smith AEROSTAR 601PS/N 61P-0196-015 · Built 1975 Airframe modelSmith AEROSTAR 601P 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.

Pilot landed on touchdown markers of runway 22 at the Heber airport. The airplane proceeded down the runway for approximately 1000 feet before leaving the runway to the left hand side where the right main gear collapsed.

At the touchdown point there was a substantial hydraulic fluid puddle. The skid marks from the tires down the runway show the aircraft veering to the left with the left gear skid mark being wider and heavier than the right. There appears to be no brake lines ruptured, but pilot claims that he was standing on the right rudder with both feet in order to attempt to keep the aircraft on the runway.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT LANDED ON TOUCHDOWN MARKERS OF RUNWAY 22 AT THE HEBER AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE PROCEEDED DOWN THE RUNWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET BEFORE LEAVING THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT HAND SIDE WHERE THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED.

AT THE TOUCHDOWN POINT THERE WAS A SUBSTANTIAL HYDRAULIC FLUID PUDDLE. THE SKID MARKS FROM THE TIRES DOWN THE RUNWAY SHOW THE AIRCRAFT VEERING TO THE LEFT WITH THE LEFT GEAR SKID MARK BEING WIDER AND HEAVIER THAN THE RIGHT. THERE APPEARS TO BE NO BRAKE LINES RUPTURED, BUT PILOT CLAIMS THAT HE WAS STANDING ON THE RIGHT RUDDER WITH BOTH FEET IN ORDER TO ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB WPR18LA272Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportHeber, UTA recent hard landing resulted in a fracture of a joint from a cylinder to a main landing gear.Sep 25, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N90339 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19860819054939ITakeoff Ground Roll · Santa Monica, CAA pickup truck drove in front of the departing aircraft. Pilot rotated and climbed over truck. Driver was arrested.Aug 19, 1986 · Reported as Piper PA60601P Incident 19791120044649ITakeoff Ground Roll · Minerville, PANose wheel struck deer during takeoff, breaking retraction drag link on nose gear.Nov 20, 1979 · Reported as Piper PA60601P · Substantial damage