- Date
- January 21, 2010, 14:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Cherokee, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8916PPiper PA-24-260
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-DSM-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100121026359A
- Case key
- 75296
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 misjudged his altitude while on short final approach.
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 pilot flew an instrument approach to runway 36 and decided to circle to land on runway 18 as the winds slightly favored runway 18, and because runway 36 contained a slight downhill slope. While on final approach the pilot lowered full flaps and slowed the airplane to 80 miles per hour. The pilot intended to land as close to the end of the runway as possible because he was concerned about the lack of braking action on the snow- and ice-covered runway. The landing gear subsequently contacted a hard snowbank about 30 feet before the approach end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's firewall. The airplane then slid about 450 feet down the center of the runway prior to coming to rest. The pilot reported that it was difficult to judge the terrain as everything was snow covered and white. The pilot did not report having any problems with the operation of the airplane prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot flew an instrument approach to runway 36 and decided to circle to land on runway 18 as the winds slightly favored runway 18, and because runway 36 contained a slight downhill slope. While on final approach the pilot lowered full flaps and slowed the airplane to 80 miles per hour. The pilot intended to land as close to the end of the runway as possible because he was concerned about the lack of braking action on the snow- and ice-covered runway. The landing gear subsequently contacted a hard snowbank about 30 feet before the approach end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's firewall. The airplane then slid about 450 feet down the center of the runway prior to coming to rest. The pilot reported that it was difficult to judge the terrain as everything was snow covered and white. The pilot did not report having any problems with the operation of the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8916P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4348
- Airframe hours
- 3,522
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wenck Kent W
- Registered owner
- Wenck Kent W
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 2010 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- LAA · Lamar, CO
- Destination
- CKP · Cherokee, IA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CKP · Cherokee County Regional, runway 18, 3,801 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 29, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,433 total · 856 in this make and model · 1,398 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- CKP
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 654 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 N8916P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.