What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Wx at time of accident:
Kfgx 272155Z auto 10007KT 10SM OVC018 09/06 A2995 rmk AO2 T00920055
According to pilot's statement:
On check of the weather prior to departure from TN44, winds were light and variable at 4-5 knots at fgx. Take off from TN44 uneventful. Sky with scattered clouds and variable wind. Pilot decided to use runway 25 for landing. On arrival, there was no traffic in pattern. Pilot entered a 45 for runway 25. Pilot stated he was at
1900. As pilot approached the end of the runway, felt a gust of wind push him from behind and to the left of the runway, felt the plane lift and pull to the left. Pilot corrected back to the right and center before further decent. Pilot could then tell he was center of the runway. Pilot pulled back to
Flare and touch back wheels to the ground. Stated it seemed like it took longer than normal for the wheels to touchdown, but still felt as if he was fine, and had enough runway to stop. Once nose came down, pilot realized he had very little runway left....about 1/4. At that point, decided it was too late to accelerate and abort the landing and applied heavy brakes. Pilot slowed, but the plane skid on the runway. Pilot let up and applied brakes again. At that point, pilot realized he wasn't going to be able to stop before the end of the runway. Decided to make a hard left into the grass. Aircraft still had some significant speed when pilot turned left into the grass. Stated "although I slowed down significantly, I land at 90-110 knots in my plane, and my plane had skid and hydroplaned on my initial breaking." When pilot turned left, aircraft went into the grass, just off and left (south) at end of runway 25, near taxiway intersection, (approach end of runway 7) 180 degrees of direction of intended landing; damaging two threshold lights.
Upon arrival to airport to take photos and assess damage, this inspector found aircraft on shoring with police line tape encompassing aircraft, prop to tail, wingtip to wingtip, on parking ramp. This inspector noted all three propeller blades bent forward. Left, right and nose gear components damaged/broken with potential damage to spar/sub-spar assy at main landing gear strut assy attach points. Damaged/wrinkled wing at right, aft wing attach point. Wrinkling/stress points noted in various areas of right wing spar cap. Damage to under belly at and aft of right wing. Left flap, trailing edge, bent. Engine exhaust pipe damaged, pushed up and curled. Unable to inspect firewall at that time. Flaps in retracted position. Gear selector handle in down position.
As the FAA filed it
WX AT TIME OF ACCIDENT:
KFGX 272155Z AUTO 10007KT 10SM OVC018 09/06 A2995 RMK AO2 T00920055
ACCORDING TO PILOT'S STATEMENT:
ON CHECK OF THE WEATHER PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM TN44, WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT 4-5 KNOTS AT FGX. TAKE OFF FROM TN44 UNEVENTFUL. SKY WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AND VARIABLE WIND. PILOT DECIDED TO USE RUNWAY 25 FOR LANDING. ON ARRIVAL, THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN PATTERN. PILOT ENTERED A 45 FOR RUNWAY 25. PILOT STATED HE WAS AT
1900. AS PILOT APPROACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, FELT A GUST OF WIND PUSH HIM FROM BEHIND AND TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY, FELT THE PLANE LIFT AND PULL TO THE LEFT. PILOT CORRECTED BACK TO THE RIGHT AND CENTER BEFORE FURTHER DECENT. PILOT COULD THEN TELL HE WAS CENTER OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT PULLED BACK TO
FLARE AND TOUCH BACK WHEELS TO THE GROUND. STATED IT SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK LONGER THAN NORMAL FOR THE WHEELS TO TOUCHDOWN, BUT STILL FELT AS IF HE WAS FINE, AND HAD ENOUGH RUNWAY TO STOP. ONCE NOSE CAME DOWN, PILOT REALIZED HE HAD VERY LITTLE RUNWAY LEFT....ABOUT 1/4. AT THAT POINT, DECIDED IT WAS TOO LATE TO ACCELERATE AND ABORT THE LANDING AND APPLIED HEAVY BRAKES. PILOT SLOWED, BUT THE PLANE SKID ON THE RUNWAY. PILOT LET UP AND APPLIED BRAKES AGAIN. AT THAT POINT, PILOT REALIZED HE WASN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP BEFORE THE END OF THE RUNWAY. DECIDED TO MAKE A HARD LEFT INTO THE GRASS. AIRCRAFT STILL HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT SPEED WHEN PILOT TURNED LEFT INTO THE GRASS. STATED "ALTHOUGH I SLOWED DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY, I LAND AT 90-110 KNOTS IN MY PLANE, AND MY PLANE HAD SKID AND HYDROPLANED ON MY INITIAL BREAKING." WHEN PILOT TURNED LEFT, AIRCRAFT WENT INTO THE GRASS, JUST OFF AND LEFT (SOUTH) AT END OF RUNWAY 25, NEAR TAXIWAY INTERSECTION, (APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 7) 180 DEGREES OF DIRECTION OF INTENDED LANDING; DAMAGING TWO THRESHOLD LIGHTS.
UPON ARRIVAL TO AIRPORT TO TAKE PHOTOS AND ASSESS DAMAGE, THIS INSPECTOR FOUND AIRCRAFT ON SHORING WITH POLICE LINE TAPE ENCOMPASSING AIRCRAFT, PROP TO TAIL, WINGTIP TO WINGTIP, ON PARKING RAMP. THIS INSPECTOR NOTED ALL THREE PROPELLER BLADES BENT FORWARD. LEFT, RIGHT AND NOSE GEAR COMPONENTS DAMAGED/BROKEN WITH POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO SPAR/SUB-SPAR ASSY AT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT ASSY ATTACH POINTS. DAMAGED/WRINKLED WING AT RIGHT, AFT WING ATTACH POINT. WRINKLING/STRESS POINTS NOTED IN VARIOUS AREAS OF RIGHT WING SPAR CAP. DAMAGE TO UNDER BELLY AT AND AFT OF RIGHT WING. LEFT FLAP, TRAILING EDGE, BENT. ENGINE EXHAUST PIPE DAMAGED, PUSHED UP AND CURLED. UNABLE TO INSPECT FIREWALL AT THAT TIME. FLAPS IN RETRACTED POSITION. GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE IN DOWN POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.