- Date
- April 13, 2011, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Peyton, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N107WCPiper PA38
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 30, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110413005949A
- Case key
- 78870
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 loss of directional control during landing.
Findings · 2
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 reported that during landing the airplane encountered gusty wind and drifted to the left. He attempted to go-around by applying full power, but the airplane veered to the left, exited the runway, struck terrain, and nosed over. The airplane's left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during landing the airplane encountered gusty winds and began to drift to the left. The pilot applied full power in an attempt to do a go-around, but the airplane continued to veer to the left. The airplane went off the left side of the runway, struck terrain, and nosed over coming to rest inverted. The airplane's left wing and fuselage were substantially damage during the accident. The winds at the airport around the time of the accident were headwinds at 8 gusting to 14 knots. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N107WC
- Reported as
- Piper PA38 (112)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3878A0261
- Airframe hours
- 4,268
- Engine
- Lycoming O235, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 2010 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- FLY · Peyton, CO
- Destination
- FLY · Peyton, CO
- Airport
- FLY · Meadow Lake Airport, runway 33, 6,000 × 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 30, 2010
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,222 total · 382 in this make and model · 2,190 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KFLY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB 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 N107WC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.