- Date
- July 17, 2009, 20:36 local (Jul 18, 2009, 02:36 UTC)
- Place
- Malvern, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N33365Piper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090718011789A
- Case key
- 74339
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 adequate airspeed during the approach to landing.
Findings · 4
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 pilot stated that the approach to landing was routine, flown with two notches of flaps, and airspeed steady at 80 knots. The pilot said the airplane appeared to be landing long, so he selected the last notch of flaps. Immediately afterward, he observed that the airspeed had decayed to 60 knots and the airplane had developed a high sink rate. The pilot applied full power but was unable to arrest the descent. The airplane impacted terrain approximately ten feet short of the runway threshold sustaining in substantial damage. An examination showed the left wing was fractured and mostly separated from the airframe just outboard of the fuselage. The left main landing gear and nose gear had collapsed and the propeller was bent. The pilot stated that the weather was clear, there was no wind, and there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Airworthiness Inspector confirmed no mechanical anomalies.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the approach to landing was routine, flown with two notches of flaps, and airspeed steady at 80 knots. The pilot said the airplane appeared to be landing long, so he selected the last notch of flaps. Immediately afterward, he observed that the airspeed had decayed to 60 knots and the airplane had developed a high sink rate. The pilot applied full power but was unable to arrest the descent. The airplane impacted terrain approximately ten feet short of the runway threshold sustaining in substantial damage. An examination showed the left wing was fractured and mostly separated from the airframe just outboard of the fuselage. The left main landing gear and nose gear had collapsed and the propeller was bent. The pilot stated that the weather was clear, there was no wind, and there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Airworthiness Inspector confirmed no mechanical anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N33365
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (140)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7525178
- Airframe hours
- 3,045
- Engine
- Lycoming O320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Carl E. Cook
- Registered owner
- Carl E. Cook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 2009
- Departed
- M78 · Malvern, AR
- Destination
- M78 · Malvern, AR
- Airport
- M78 · Malvern, runway 04, 3,188 × 60 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 17, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 350 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KLIT, 36 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 536 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.