- Date
- May 26, 2011, 19:15 local (May 27, 2011, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2364Piper J5A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20110526009879A
- Case key
- 79227
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The solo student pilot initiated a go-around on his first landing attempt due to low level turbulence associated with wind coming over nearby trees. He elected to land beyond the trees on his next attempt, but about 5 feet above the runway, the airplane turned sharply to the right, descended and impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot said there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane, and that he should have selected another airport where the wind was not a factor.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot initiated a go-around on his first landing attempt due to low level turbulence associated with wind coming over nearby trees. He elected to land beyond the trees on his next attempt, but about 5 feet above the runway, the airplane turned sharply to the right, and dropped to the ground. He said there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane, and that he should have selected another airport where the wind was not a factor. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2364
- Reported as
- Piper J5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5-844
- Airframe hours
- 4,483
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290 SERIES, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven F Pechota
- Registered owner
- Steven F Pechota
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 10, 2011
- Departed
- PAAQ · Palmer, AK
- Destination
- PAAQ · Palmer, AK
- Airport
- PAAQ · Palmer Municipal, runway 09, 3,617 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 92 total · 83 in this make and model · 26 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.71 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 30, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 150 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2364 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.