What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Airport: Placerville, kpvf 2,586?MSL, using rwy 23, 3,914? Long. The weather was clear, a light wind from the sw, 68°f. rwy 23 has a 75? Displaced threshold. The runway sits on top of a hill with a gradual dropoff on either end which may have contributed to an optical illusion affecting the pilot judgement of descent angle and airspeed of final approach.
The a/c was almost full of fuel with just the pilot with no baggage. We discussed the wt & balance concern of being at the forward CG limit of the envelope and how that would affect trim, approach speed and how the use of flaps influences the relative pitch attitude vs airspeed and approach angle during flair. He acknowledged that even a few knots above desired airspeed on final results in ?landing long? And the possibility of touching down on the nosewheel first.
The pilot described that he made what he thought was a normal, stabilized approach to rwy 23. However, when he initiated the roundout prior to his flair, he realized the aircraft was not slowing as expected, was further down the runway than expected and when the a/c initially touched down, it rapidly pitched up and he initiated a go-around. However, when he applied full power and initiated the retraction of the flaps, the engine faltered and failed to accelerate. He described it as a ?hiccup?. He immediately closed the throttle and attempted to land on the remaining runway ahead but quickly realized he was going off the end so he turned to avoid the ground obstacles. He described that when the a/c came to a stop, he was ?pretty beat up? And the a/c was in bad shape. He was transported to the hospital where he was treated for moderate trauma and bruising.
As the FAA filed it
AIRPORT: PLACERVILLE, KPVF 2,586?MSL, USING RWY 23, 3,914? LONG. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR, A LIGHT WIND FROM THE SW, 68°F. RWY 23 HAS A 75? DISPLACED THRESHOLD. THE RUNWAY SITS ON TOP OF A HILL WITH A GRADUAL DROPOFF ON EITHER END WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AN OPTICAL ILLUSION AFFECTING THE PILOT JUDGEMENT OF DESCENT ANGLE AND AIRSPEED OF FINAL APPROACH.
THE A/C WAS ALMOST FULL OF FUEL WITH JUST THE PILOT WITH NO BAGGAGE. WE DISCUSSED THE WT & BALANCE CONCERN OF BEING AT THE FORWARD CG LIMIT OF THE ENVELOPE AND HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT TRIM, APPROACH SPEED AND HOW THE USE OF FLAPS INFLUENCES THE RELATIVE PITCH ATTITUDE VS AIRSPEED AND APPROACH ANGLE DURING FLAIR. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT EVEN A FEW KNOTS ABOVE DESIRED AIRSPEED ON FINAL RESULTS IN ?LANDING LONG? AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TOUCHING DOWN ON THE NOSEWHEEL FIRST.
THE PILOT DESCRIBED THAT HE MADE WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A NORMAL, STABILIZED APPROACH TO RWY 23. HOWEVER, WHEN HE INITIATED THE ROUNDOUT PRIOR TO HIS FLAIR, HE REALIZED THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT SLOWING AS EXPECTED, WAS FURTHER DOWN THE RUNWAY THAN EXPECTED AND WHEN THE A/C INITIALLY TOUCHED DOWN, IT RAPIDLY PITCHED UP AND HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND. HOWEVER, WHEN HE APPLIED FULL POWER AND INITIATED THE RETRACTION OF THE FLAPS, THE ENGINE FALTERED AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. HE DESCRIBED IT AS A ?HICCUP?. HE IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE THROTTLE AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY AHEAD BUT QUICKLY REALIZED HE WAS GOING OFF THE END SO HE TURNED TO AVOID THE GROUND OBSTACLES. HE DESCRIBED THAT WHEN THE A/C CAME TO A STOP, HE WAS ?PRETTY BEAT UP? AND THE A/C WAS IN BAD SHAPE. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS TREATED FOR MODERATE TRAUMA AND BRUISING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.