- Date
- August 27, 1994, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Wolfeboro, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8541YPiper PA-30
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940827048639A
- Case key
- 8973
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 directional control during landing which resulted in inflight collission with trees.
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 reported that during landing at a private grass strip, the airplane veered to the left. He stated that he added power to go-around, but the left wing struck some branches and spun the aircraft around. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction.
Factual narrative
On August 27, 1994, at 1715 eastern daylight time, N8541Y, a Piper PA-30, owned and operated by David Smallidge of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, collided with trees during landing at a private grass strip in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. The certificated commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured while the airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight was operated under 14 CFR 91 and originated in Sanford, Maine.
The pilot reported that during landing at the airstrip, the airplane veered to the left. He stated that he added power to go-around, but the left wing struck some branches and spun the airplane around. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8541Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-1599
- Airframe hours
- 3,200
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320-B1A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Smallidge
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SFM · Sanford, ME
- Destination
- PVT · NH
- Airport
- PVT · Mountain View
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
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 661 total · 93 in this make and model · 558 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N8541Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.