20190213010259I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Pagosa Springs, CO · February 13, 2019

Date
February 13, 2019 · 11:00 local
Place
Pagosa Springs, CO
Airport
Stevens Field
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7754N
Reported as
Piper PA-28-180
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
46 total46 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

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.

I was doing touch and goes at kpso, my home field. I made my first take-0FF at around 1130 MST and the incident occurred at 1201 MST. My first landing was fine with nothing unusual. Second time around, I was set up to land and got a small gust on final descent that pushed me off runway centerline, so I did a go-around. As I reached altitude, I checked the weather to make sure the wind didn't increase or change directions, the AWOS read calm. I continued in the pattern and on final my glideslope, speed and altitude were all good. When I went to land, I flared too soon and too high. I over-corrected and let the nose drop, then over-corrected by pulling the nose up. By the time I pulled the nose up, I had sunk and the plane smacked into the runway. I attempted to use the rudders to keep the airplane on the runway, but the aircraft veered rigfht and came to rest halfway off the runway, into the snow. I called for help on UNICOM, and the manager of the FBO and the manager of the airport came out to inspect the damage. As they were on their way out to the scene, I shut off all the equipment, and fuel, then climbed out thru the door of the aircraft. Upon exiting the aircraft, I noticed that the nose gear was off, but the strut was still extended, and the tips of the prop were bent. The managers safely removed the aircraft from the snow and runway.

As the FAA filed it

I WAS DOING TOUCH AND GOES AT KPSO, MY HOME FIELD. I MADE MY FIRST TAKE-0FF AT AROUND 1130 MST AND THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1201 MST. MY FIRST LANDING WAS FINE WITH NOTHING UNUSUAL. SECOND TIME AROUND, I WAS SET UP TO LAND AND GOT A SMALL GUST ON FINAL DESCENT THAT PUSHED ME OFF RUNWAY CENTERLINE, SO I DID A GO-AROUND. AS I REACHED ALTITUDE, I CHECKED THE WEATHER TO MAKE SURE THE WIND DIDN'T INCREASE OR CHANGE DIRECTIONS, THE AWOS READ CALM. I CONTINUED IN THE PATTERN AND ON FINAL MY GLIDESLOPE, SPEED AND ALTITUDE WERE ALL GOOD. WHEN I WENT TO LAND, I FLARED TOO SOON AND TOO HIGH. I OVER-CORRECTED AND LET THE NOSE DROP, THEN OVER-CORRECTED BY PULLING THE NOSE UP. BY THE TIME I PULLED THE NOSE UP, I HAD SUNK AND THE PLANE SMACKED INTO THE RUNWAY. I ATTEMPTED TO USE THE RUDDERS TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY, BUT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED RIGFHT AND CAME TO REST HALFWAY OFF THE RUNWAY, INTO THE SNOW. I CALLED FOR HELP ON UNICOM, AND THE MANAGER OF THE FBO AND THE MANAGER OF THE AIRPORT CAME OUT TO INSPECT THE DAMAGE. AS THEY WERE ON THEIR WAY OUT TO THE SCENE, I SHUT OFF ALL THE EQUIPMENT, AND FUEL, THEN CLIMBED OUT THRU THE DOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT. UPON EXITING THE AIRCRAFT, I NOTICED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS OFF, BUT THE STRUT WAS STILL EXTENDED, AND THE TIPS OF THE PROP WERE BENT. THE MANAGERS SAFELY REMOVED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE SNOW AND RUNWAY.

Other reports on N7754N · 1

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