What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On January 20, 2025, at 1:00 pm local time, aviation safety inspector was briefed by another aviation safety inspector who had visited the accident site at Mount Vernon Airport (kmvn) and performed an investigation including pictures of the aircraft and pilots log books. The investigation centered around the crash of privacy data omitted, a Piper PA28-235, which had collided with a snowbank while attempting to land on runway 23.
The inspector was provided with pictures and a video of the incident. The video, although grainy, showed the aircraft landing. The landing appeared normal but seemed faster than usual, with the tail raising slightly placing added weight on the nose gear. The aircraft continued its approach and struck a snowbank on the left-wing tip, causing it to rotate nearly 180 degrees to the left around the snowbank collapsing the nose gear, damaging the left wing, propeller and firewall.
No injuries were reported. However, the aircraft sustained major damage, including a collapsed nose gear, firewall damage, and wrinkling of the upper and lower skins on the left wing inboard of the landing gear.
The inspector conducted an interview with the pilot over the phone, who admitted to being too high and fast on final approach and should have did a go-around but continued with a hard landing. The pilot reported that her right wing initially struck a snowbank on the right side of the runway, leading her to overcorrect to the left and collide with a snowbank on the left.
The PIC indicated the weather conditions were visual flight rules (VFR) with clear skies and winds less than 5 knots. The pilot in command (PIC) had approximately 119 flight hours and received their private pilot certificate on August 24, 2024.
As the FAA filed it
ON JANUARY 20, 2025, AT 1:00 PM LOCAL TIME, AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR WAS BRIEFED BY ANOTHER AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR WHO HAD VISITED THE ACCIDENT SITE AT MOUNT VERNON AIRPORT (KMVN) AND PERFORMED AN INVESTIGATION INCLUDING PICTURES OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOTS LOG BOOKS. THE INVESTIGATION CENTERED AROUND THE CRASH OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PIPER PA28-235, WHICH HAD COLLIDED WITH A SNOWBANK WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 23.
THE INSPECTOR WAS PROVIDED WITH PICTURES AND A VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT. THE VIDEO, ALTHOUGH GRAINY, SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT LANDING. THE LANDING APPEARED NORMAL BUT SEEMED FASTER THAN USUAL, WITH THE TAIL RAISING SLIGHTLY PLACING ADDED WEIGHT ON THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS APPROACH AND STRUCK A SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT-WING TIP, CAUSING IT TO ROTATE NEARLY 180 DEGREES TO THE LEFT AROUND THE SNOWBANK COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR, DAMAGING THE LEFT WING, PROPELLER AND FIREWALL.
NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE, INCLUDING A COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR, FIREWALL DAMAGE, AND WRINKLING OF THE UPPER AND LOWER SKINS ON THE LEFT WING INBOARD OF THE LANDING GEAR.
THE INSPECTOR CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT OVER THE PHONE, WHO ADMITTED TO BEING TOO HIGH AND FAST ON FINAL APPROACH AND SHOULD HAVE DID A GO-AROUND BUT CONTINUED WITH A HARD LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HER RIGHT WING INITIALLY STRUCK A SNOWBANK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, LEADING HER TO OVERCORRECT TO THE LEFT AND COLLIDE WITH A SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT.
THE PIC INDICATED THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) WITH CLEAR SKIES AND WINDS LESS THAN 5 KNOTS. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) HAD APPROXIMATELY 119 FLIGHT HOURS AND RECEIVED THEIR PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ON AUGUST 24, 2024.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.