# Accident 20181127022949A: Piper PA-28-180, Casa Grande, AZ, November 27, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 27, 2018, 18:52 local time
- Place: Casa Grande, AZ
- Airport: Casa Grande Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.9550° N, 111.7669° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9550&lon=-111.7669&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5668W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5668W-2019-05-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Student
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA19CA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA084) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181127022949A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON NOVEMBER 27, 2018 AT 18:52 LOCAL TIME, AT CASA GRANDE AIRPORT (CGZ) IN CASA GRANDE ARIZONA, AIRCRAFT N5668W CRASHED INTO THE PERIMETER FENCE, SHORT OF THE RUNWAY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND. THE AIRCRAFT, A PIPER PA-28-180, WAS PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND NO OTHER PASSENGERS WERE ABOARD. THE PILOT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND JAW AND WAS AIRLIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL IN CHANDLER ARIZONA, WHERE HE WAS TREATED AND RELEASED.

INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, POST-CRASH, REVEALED IT HAD SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. FURTHER INSPECTION FOUND THERE TO BE NO MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.

INSPECTION OF THE HANGAR FACILITY WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS KEPT, REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN TREATED BY THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION HOSPITAL AS WAS NOTED BY NUMEROUS PRESCRIPTION BOTTLES FOR^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. A DATA BASE SEARCH FOUND NO RECORD OF THE PILOT HAVING A PILOT CERTIFICATE OR A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, EVER ISSUED FROM THE FAA.

DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT, AFTER HIS RELEASE FROM THE HOSPITAL, HE STATED THAT HE HAD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE ISSUED TO HIM ON SEPTEMBER 29, 1970 AND HE WAS UNAWARE THAT THE CERTIFICATE HAD AN EXPIRATION DATE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN SEVERAL PLANES SINCE 1970 WITH ONLY HIS STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PRESCRIPTION BOTTLES FOUND IN THE HANGAR, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD A HEAD INJURY AND SUBSEQUENT MEDICAL DISCHARGE FROM THE U.S. ARMY IN THE 1960'S AND HE HAD BEEN TREATED BY THE V.A. FOR PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE INJURY. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE DID NOT TAKE ANY OF THE MEDICATION ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT.

WHEN EXPLAINING THE EVENTS LEADING TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN DOING PATTERN FLYING AROUND CGZ AND WAS LINED UP TO LAND ON RUNWAY 5. HE RECALLED THAT AS HE GOT CLOSE HE THOUGHT HE MAY BE A LITTLE LOW AND WAS GOING TO GO AROUND. BEFORE HE COULD MAKE THE MANEUVER THE PILOT BELIEVES HE LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AND WHEN HE AWOKE HE REALIZED HE HAD BEEN IN A CRASH. NOTICING FUEL LEAKING FROM THE WING OF THE PLANE, THE PILOT STATED, HE SHUT DOWN ALL SWITCHES AND GOT OUT OF THE PLANE. AFTER EXITING THE PLANE THE PILOT PICKED UP PARTS OF THE PLANE AND PLACED THEM INTO THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT AND THEN WALKED ACROSS THE FIELD TO AN AIR EVACUATION STATION LOCATED AT CGZ.

WHEN THE PILOT APPARENTLY LOST CONSCIOUSNESS, HE PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN, CAUSING THE RIGHT WING AND LANDING GEAR TO CONTACT THE PERIMETER FENCE SEVERING THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT TO CONTACT THE GROUND BREAKING THE NOSE GEAR OFF. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 600 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB GAA19CA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA084), Nov 28, 2018: Piper PA28 (N5668W), Casa Grande, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot's failure to maintain a proper glidepath during the approach, which resulted in impact with a fence and terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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