20201008017399I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-22-150 · California City, CA · October 8, 2020

Date: October 8, 2020 · 09:30 local
Place: California City, CA
Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8621D
Reported as: Piper PA-22-150
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 7,322 total28 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days

N8621DRegistered now · Piper PA-22-150S/N 22-5824 · Built 1957 Airframe modelPiper PA-22-150 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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 statement: "on Thursday, October 8, 2020, at approximately 9:30AM, I approached what appeared to be a dry lakebed, known as koehn lake. I over flew it looking for a safe and dry spot to land. The lakebed looked dry and I picked a spot and flew a normal approach and landing. On my landing rollout, it felt a bit soft but nothing unreasonable. As I slowed down, the main wheels sunk in more. I attempted to go-around but was unable to as the main wheels sunk completely into deep mud and the airplane came to rest with its nose and main wheels in the mud. I secured the airplane and stepped outside uninjured."

FAA iic: aircraft incident site was not accesible by vehicle. Recovery was done by helicopter and transported to the phoenix recovery company site. The aircraft was inspected and no structural damage was observed.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATEMENT: "ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30AM, I APPROACHED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A DRY LAKEBED, KNOWN AS KOEHN LAKE. I OVER FLEW IT LOOKING FOR A SAFE AND DRY SPOT TO LAND. THE LAKEBED LOOKED DRY AND I PICKED A SPOT AND FLEW A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING. ON MY LANDING ROLLOUT, IT FELT A BIT SOFT BUT NOTHING UNREASONABLE. AS I SLOWED DOWN, THE MAIN WHEELS SUNK IN MORE. I ATTEMPTED TO GO-AROUND BUT WAS UNABLE TO AS THE MAIN WHEELS SUNK COMPLETELY INTO DEEP MUD AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST WITH ITS NOSE AND MAIN WHEELS IN THE MUD. I SECURED THE AIRPLANE AND STEPPED OUTSIDE UNINJURED."

FAA IIC: AIRCRAFT INCIDENT SITE WAS NOT ACCESIBLE BY VEHICLE. RECOVERY WAS DONE BY HELICOPTER AND TRANSPORTED TO THE PHOENIX RECOVERY COMPANY SITE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED AND NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED.