- Date
- July 14, 2007, 15:51 local (19:51 UTC)
- Place
- Gardner, MA
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4337PPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070714017249A
- Case key
- 66209
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during an aborted landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated she "landed long and fast," and decided to abort the landing. During the climb out, the pilot "lost control," and the airplane collided with trees located near the departure end of the runway. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
Factual narrative
On July 14, 2007 at 1551 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N4337P, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees during an aborted landing at Gardner Municipal Airport (GDM), Gardner, Massachusetts. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The airplane was registered to Piper 37P LLC and operated by the private pilot, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot stated that she "landed long and fast," and decided to abort the landing. During the initial climb following the aborted landing, she "lost control of the airplane," and subsequently collided with trees near the departure end of the runway. She did not report any flight control or mechanical anomalies associated with the airplane prior to the accident.
The airplane was examined following the accident by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. The inspector did not note any flight control or other obvious mechanical anomalies associated with the airframe or engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4337P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8416044
- Airframe hours
- 12,163
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2007 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- 0B5 · Montague, MA
- Destination
- GDM · Gardner, MA
- Airport
- GDM · Gardner Muni, runway 36, 2,999 × 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 112 total · 112 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KFIT, 11 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.