- Date
- August 1, 2009, 10:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Terrell, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8602CPiper PA22
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 74429
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 improper decision to continue the approach and landing during thunderstorm activity, resulting in the loss of aircraft control.
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
According to the pilot, during his approach to land he observed thunderstorms in the vicinity of the airport and observed moisture on the windscreen of the airplane. He elected to continue the approach and encountered strong turbulence during the base and final legs of the approach. During the turbulent encounter on short final, the airplane was turned 30 degrees to the right of runway heading and the nose was forced upward. The pilot regained control of the airplane and landed firmly on the runway surface. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, the left wing "dug" into the grass surface, cartwheeled, and came to rest inverted. The outboard four feet of the left wing and the firewall of the airplane were bent. According to the pilot and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Witnesses observing the flight indicated that the wind shifted from a right quartering head wind to a right quartering tail wind and increased in velocity while the airplane was on short final.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during his approach to land he observed thunderstorms in the vicinity of the airport and observed moisture on the windscreen of the airplane. He elected to continue the approach and encountered strong turbulence during the base and final legs of the approach. During the turbulent encounter on short final, the airplane was turned 30 degrees to the right of runway heading and the nose was forced upward. The pilot regained control of the airplane and landed firmly on the runway surface. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, the left wing "dug" into the grass surface, cartwheeled, and came to rest inverted. The outboard four feet of the left wing and the firewall of the airplane were bent. According to the pilot and a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Witnesses observing the flight indicated that the wind shifted from a right quartering head wind to a right quartering tail wind and increased in velocity while the airplane was on short final.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8602C
- Reported as
- Piper PA22 (135)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 221282
- Airframe hours
- 1,986
- Engine
- Lycoming O290-02, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alvin L. Good
- Registered owner
- Alvin L. Good
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 30, 2009
- Departed
- E70 · Seguin, TX
- Destination
- TRL · Terrell, TX
- Airport
- TRL · Terrell Municipal Airport, runway 17, 5,006 × 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
- 68
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 30, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 572 total · 3 in this make and model · 572 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KTRL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 720 KB in all.