What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 12, 2020 at approximately 5:30PM (EST), a single engine Piper PA-22 airplane (N3535A) impacted the landing strip threshold during final approach to a private landing strip adjacent to Salem municipal airport (I83). The pilot (single occupant) sustained minor injuries and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that during final approach he felt a jolt on the left side of the aircraft and the aircraft immediately pitched nose down, impacted the pavement, and collapsed the nose gear. The aircraft slid on its nose approximately 100 feet from initial impact.
A 4 foot pile of dirt at the threshold of the landing strip appeared to have fresh soil disturbance and contained fragments of the aircraft's left landing gear fairing. Dirt and fairing fragments from the left gear trailed from the dirt pile to where the aircraft came to a rest. The left main gear was detached from the airframe support structure. The tubing cluster that connects the fuselage with the left wing spar (brace) and the left main gear was separated. Dirt and weeds consistence with the 4 foot high dirt pile was observed in the left main gear and where the tubing cluster separated. The airframe tubing along the lower left fuselage was separated and protruding in the airplane cabin.
This landing strip was decommissioned by the Salem municipal airport when the new runway was constructed. The landing strip and land is now privately owned.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 12, 2020 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:30PM (EST), A SINGLE ENGINE PIPER PA-22 AIRPLANE (N3535A) IMPACTED THE LANDING STRIP THRESHOLD DURING FINAL APPROACH TO A PRIVATE LANDING STRIP ADJACENT TO SALEM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (I83). THE PILOT (SINGLE OCCUPANT) SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING FINAL APPROACH HE FELT A JOLT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY PITCHED NOSE DOWN, IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT, AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON ITS NOSE APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET FROM INITIAL IMPACT.
A 4 FOOT PILE OF DIRT AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE LANDING STRIP APPEARED TO HAVE FRESH SOIL DISTURBANCE AND CONTAINED FRAGMENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT LANDING GEAR FAIRING. DIRT AND FAIRING FRAGMENTS FROM THE LEFT GEAR TRAILED FROM THE DIRT PILE TO WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A REST. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS DETACHED FROM THE AIRFRAME SUPPORT STRUCTURE. THE TUBING CLUSTER THAT CONNECTS THE FUSELAGE WITH THE LEFT WING SPAR (BRACE) AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS SEPARATED. DIRT AND WEEDS CONSISTENCE WITH THE 4 FOOT HIGH DIRT PILE WAS OBSERVED IN THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND WHERE THE TUBING CLUSTER SEPARATED. THE AIRFRAME TUBING ALONG THE LOWER LEFT FUSELAGE WAS SEPARATED AND PROTRUDING IN THE AIRPLANE CABIN.
THIS LANDING STRIP WAS DECOMMISSIONED BY THE SALEM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHEN THE NEW RUNWAY WAS CONSTRUCTED. THE LANDING STRIP AND LAND IS NOW PRIVATELY OWNED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.