- Date
- June 19, 2010, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Leander, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4969MPiper PA-11
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 7, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 76712
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 clearance from trees during approach.
Findings · 1
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
While on a low final approach, the airplane encountered a downdraft over an area of trees. The pilot initiated full engine power; however, the airplane continued to settle until the right landing gear impacted the top branches of a tree. The pilot was able to continue the approach and landed successfully. Once back to the hangar the pilot exited the airplane and discovered that the fuselage had sustained structural damage during the impact.
Factual narrative
While on a low final approach, the tailwheel-equipped single-engine airplane experienced a downdraft over an area of trees. The pilot initiated full engine power; however, the airplane continued to settle until the right landing gear impacted the top branches of a tree. The pilot was able to continue the approach and landed successfully. Once back to the hangar the pilot exited the airplane and discovered that the fuselage had sustained structural damage during the impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4969M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-11
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11-456
- Engine
- Cont Motor C-85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Campbell David
- Registered owner
- Campbell David
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 77T · Leander, TX
- Destination
- 77T · Leander, TX
- Airport
- 77T · Kittie Hill, runway 17, grass/turf
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2009
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 1,017 total · 4 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 MB in all.