# Incident 20220305003249I: Piper PA-46-600TP, Merced, CA, March 5, 2022

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 5, 2022, 17:45 local time
- Place: Merced, CA
- Airport: Merced Regional Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3114° N, 120.4704° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Merced, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3114&lon=-120.4704&mi=10
- Aircraft: N672WA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N672WA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-46-600TP (registry code 7104650, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-46-600tp) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A (registry code 52268, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pt6a-42a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-46-600TP
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PT6A-42A
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 811 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220305003249I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON MARCH 5, 2022 N762WA LANDED ON RUNWAY 30 AT KMCE.  UPON TOUCHDOWN  PILOT STATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND DID NOT RESPOND TO RUDDER INPUT.  THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTED THE PAVED SURFACE AND ENCOUNTERED VERY TALL GRASS ON NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.  THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED WHEN IT ENCOUNTERED THE ROUGH UNPAVED SURFACE.  THIS LED TO DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER AND INGESTION OF GRASS INTO THE ENGINE.  A SMALL FIRE ENSUED.  LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVED TO SECURE THE AREA.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE PILOT'S HANGAR.

THIS INCIDENT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE RESULT OF PILOT ERROR.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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