20240314002179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper AEROSTAR 601P · Grass Valley, CA · March 14, 2024

Date
March 14, 2024 · 11:30 local
Place
Grass Valley, CA
Airport
Nevada County Airport
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1SS
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR24LA111
Reported as
Piper Aerostar 601P
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1

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.

AWOS reported 4 knots of wind, at time of arrival AWOS reported 15 knots gusting to 25 knots right down runway 7. Moderate turbulence was encountered during approach. 15-20 feet from landing, wing dipped and a go around was executed. Go around was normal at first and then the aircraft was unable to gain altitude and was losing airspeed. 3/4 of the way down the runway wind gust and windshear pushed the aircraft into a 45 degree nose and right wing low attitude. Pilot was unable to recover and the aircraft impacted the parallel taxiway and skidded across the empty ramp and came to rest.

As the FAA filed it

AWOS REPORTED 4 KNOTS OF WIND, AT TIME OF ARRIVAL AWOS REPORTED 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS RIGHT DOWN RUNWAY 7. MODERATE TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING APPROACH. 15-20 FEET FROM LANDING, WING DIPPED AND A GO AROUND WAS EXECUTED. GO AROUND WAS NORMAL AT FIRST AND THEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ALTITUDE AND WAS LOSING AIRSPEED. 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY WIND GUST AND WINDSHEAR PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT INTO A 45 DEGREE NOSE AND RIGHT WING LOW ATTITUDE. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY AND SKIDDED ACROSS THE EMPTY RAMP AND CAME TO REST.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.