What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident occured 14:00CDT on February 14,2019. FAA was not on the scene until February 26, 2019 due to the pilot's delay in reporting the accident. The aircraft was moved into a locked t-hangar before the FAA investigators arrived.
FAA obtain the following information from the pilot on February 26, 2019 at approximately 11:45 CDT.
- Pilot stated it has been about 7 weeks since his last flight before incident.
- Pilot stated he was weak on crosswind landings so the purpose of the flight was to practice crosswind
Takeoffs and landings.
- Pilot stated he was too high on approach during the first attempt at a landing, so he executed a go-around.
- Pilot stated the second approach seemed normal and the flare was over the numbers.
- Pilot stated the aircraft started to drift left and he didn't correct.
- Pilot stated the aircraft departed the left side of runway 13.
- Pilot stated he felt he didn't have adequate speed for a go-around.
- Pilot stated the aircraft struck a compacted pile of snow with the aircraft partially centered but mainly with the left wing.
- Pilot stated the aircraft spun 180 and came to rest facing backwards from original heading.
- Pilot stated the engine stopped on impact with the snow.
- Pilot stated he secured the engine, mags, fuel, and ignition.
- Pilot stated the only witness heard the incident but he was not aware of anyone seeing the incident.
- Pilot stated the aircraft was moved shortly after the incident and tied down on the ramp.
- Pilot stated the aircraft was moved into the t-hangar about a week prior to FAA inspector's visit.
- Pilot claimed he was not fatigued at the time of the incident.
- Pilot stated he obtained 7 hours of sleep the night before the incident.
- Pilot stated he had no distractions.
- Pilot stated he was wearing a headset.
- Pilot stated there was another aircraft in the traffic pattern but that aircraft was back in its hangar before the incident occurred.
- Pilot stated he had no physiological issues prior to the flight; that he performed the "imsafe" checklist.
- Pilot stated there was 60 gallons of fuel on board the aircraft at the time of his departure.
- Pilot stated most of his primary training was in a Piper PA-28-151, with some time in an PA-28-181, and a Cessna 150.
FAA investgators then went out to the runway. A pronounced scuff mark was noted on the runway, about 300 feet from the start of the runway. Only one scuff mark was noted. This scuff was 20 feet left of the runway centerline and remained fairly straight off the left side of the runway at a 6 angle from the runway heading. The mark continued into the grass to the compacted snow pile (approximately 200 feet in length). Two fiberglass aircraft components remained in the snow pile but there was no evidence of how the aircraft came to rest.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT OCCURED 14:00CDT ON FEBRUARY 14,2019. FAA WAS NOT ON THE SCENE UNTIL FEBRUARY 26, 2019 DUE TO THE PILOT'S DELAY IN REPORTING THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED INTO A LOCKED T-HANGAR BEFORE THE FAA INVESTIGATORS ARRIVED.
FAA OBTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM THE PILOT ON FEBRUARY 26, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:45 CDT.
- PILOT STATED IT HAS BEEN ABOUT 7 WEEKS SINCE HIS LAST FLIGHT BEFORE INCIDENT.
- PILOT STATED HE WAS WEAK ON CROSSWIND LANDINGS SO THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PRACTICE CROSSWIND
TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS.
- PILOT STATED HE WAS TOO HIGH ON APPROACH DURING THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT A LANDING, SO HE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND.
- PILOT STATED THE SECOND APPROACH SEEMED NORMAL AND THE FLARE WAS OVER THE NUMBERS.
- PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DRIFT LEFT AND HE DIDN'T CORRECT.
- PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 13.
- PILOT STATED HE FELT HE DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE SPEED FOR A GO-AROUND.
- PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A COMPACTED PILE OF SNOW WITH THE AIRCRAFT PARTIALLY CENTERED BUT MAINLY WITH THE LEFT WING.
- PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT SPUN 180 AND CAME TO REST FACING BACKWARDS FROM ORIGINAL HEADING.
- PILOT STATED THE ENGINE STOPPED ON IMPACT WITH THE SNOW.
- PILOT STATED HE SECURED THE ENGINE, MAGS, FUEL, AND IGNITION.
- PILOT STATED THE ONLY WITNESS HEARD THE INCIDENT BUT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANYONE SEEING THE INCIDENT.
- PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT AND TIED DOWN ON THE RAMP.
- PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED INTO THE T-HANGAR ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO FAA INSPECTOR'S VISIT.
- PILOT CLAIMED HE WAS NOT FATIGUED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
- PILOT STATED HE OBTAINED 7 HOURS OF SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE THE INCIDENT.
- PILOT STATED HE HAD NO DISTRACTIONS.
- PILOT STATED HE WAS WEARING A HEADSET.
- PILOT STATED THERE WAS ANOTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN BUT THAT AIRCRAFT WAS BACK IN ITS HANGAR BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.
- PILOT STATED HE HAD NO PHYSIOLOGICAL ISSUES PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT; THAT HE PERFORMED THE "IMSAFE" CHECKLIST.
- PILOT STATED THERE WAS 60 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF HIS DEPARTURE.
- PILOT STATED MOST OF HIS PRIMARY TRAINING WAS IN A PIPER PA-28-151, WITH SOME TIME IN AN PA-28-181, AND A CESSNA 150.
FAA INVESTGATORS THEN WENT OUT TO THE RUNWAY. A PRONOUNCED SCUFF MARK WAS NOTED ON THE RUNWAY, ABOUT 300 FEET FROM THE START OF THE RUNWAY. ONLY ONE SCUFF MARK WAS NOTED. THIS SCUFF WAS 20 FEET LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE AND REMAINED FAIRLY STRAIGHT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AT A 6 ANGLE FROM THE RUNWAY HEADING. THE MARK CONTINUED INTO THE GRASS TO THE COMPACTED SNOW PILE (APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET IN LENGTH). TWO FIBERGLASS AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS REMAINED IN THE SNOW PILE BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF HOW THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3708W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.