What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
PA28-160 2 person on board. No injuries/no fatalities. Departed W5Z enroute to WA66. Described as a private airstrip, requires a call ahead to land. Pilot said upon arrival, noted sprinklers on approach end of runway, decided to land past sprinklers. Applied brakes hard, determined not enough room to stop, and applied power to go around, unable to establish a climb aircraft settled into the trees on the downhill area on the departure end of the runway. Aircraft went into trees removing both wings and came to rest on its side.
Pilot said there were no mechanical problems during the sequence of events.
Contacted privacy data omitted spring creek ranch airport. He did take a call from the pilot for permission to land. I asked about sprinklers on the runway, he told me there were no sprinklers, the accident happened at another location, not his airport.
Traveled to accident site to view site in person, as it appeared to be a farm field on google maps. Upon arrival found a mowed grass strip between two crop fields. On the l/h side there was a bright orange windsock, the landing area had the appearance of an airport. A resident said that it was used by an experimental powered parachute for takeoffs and landings. It is not on any chart as an airport for public use.
It is approximately 1100FT long, and has a slight dip in the terrain. From the top of the dip to the departure end is about 204FT.
In a phone call from the pilot, he admitted he thought he was at spring creek ranch airport (WA66) when he landed. He realized when coming to the top of the dip in the terrain that he did not have room to stop, applied power and tried to establish a positive climb and settled into the trees on the downhill slope off the departure end.
As the FAA filed it
PA28-160 2 PERSON ON BOARD. NO INJURIES/NO FATALITIES. DEPARTED W5Z ENROUTE TO WA66. DESCRIBED AS A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, REQUIRES A CALL AHEAD TO LAND. PILOT SAID UPON ARRIVAL, NOTED SPRINKLERS ON APPROACH END OF RUNWAY, DECIDED TO LAND PAST SPRINKLERS. APPLIED BRAKES HARD, DETERMINED NOT ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP, AND APPLIED POWER TO GO AROUND, UNABLE TO ESTABLISH A CLIMB AIRCRAFT SETTLED INTO THE TREES ON THE DOWNHILL AREA ON THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. AIRCRAFT WENT INTO TREES REMOVING BOTH WINGS AND CAME TO REST ON ITS SIDE.
PILOT SAID THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS DURING THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS.
CONTACTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SPRING CREEK RANCH AIRPORT. HE DID TAKE A CALL FROM THE PILOT FOR PERMISSION TO LAND. I ASKED ABOUT SPRINKLERS ON THE RUNWAY, HE TOLD ME THERE WERE NO SPRINKLERS, THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT ANOTHER LOCATION, NOT HIS AIRPORT.
TRAVELED TO ACCIDENT SITE TO VIEW SITE IN PERSON, AS IT APPEARED TO BE A FARM FIELD ON GOOGLE MAPS. UPON ARRIVAL FOUND A MOWED GRASS STRIP BETWEEN TWO CROP FIELDS. ON THE L/H SIDE THERE WAS A BRIGHT ORANGE WINDSOCK, THE LANDING AREA HAD THE APPEARANCE OF AN AIRPORT. A RESIDENT SAID THAT IT WAS USED BY AN EXPERIMENTAL POWERED PARACHUTE FOR TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. IT IS NOT ON ANY CHART AS AN AIRPORT FOR PUBLIC USE.
IT IS APPROXIMATELY 1100FT LONG, AND HAS A SLIGHT DIP IN THE TERRAIN. FROM THE TOP OF THE DIP TO THE DEPARTURE END IS ABOUT 204FT.
IN A PHONE CALL FROM THE PILOT, HE ADMITTED HE THOUGHT HE WAS AT SPRING CREEK RANCH AIRPORT (WA66) WHEN HE LANDED. HE REALIZED WHEN COMING TO THE TOP OF THE DIP IN THE TERRAIN THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ROOM TO STOP, APPLIED POWER AND TRIED TO ESTABLISH A POSITIVE CLIMB AND SETTLED INTO THE TREES ON THE DOWNHILL SLOPE OFF THE DEPARTURE END.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.