- Date
- May 13, 2013, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Meriden, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1818JPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Landing: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130513008899A
- Case key
- 86901
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 electing to land at an airport with a runway environment that precluded a go-around with the tailwind weather conditions present which resulted in a runway excursion during the landing.
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
A tailwind condition existed at the destination airport and the pilot reported that a strong gust of wind occurred on short final, which pushed the airplane a few hundred feet down the runway. He said that the gust occurred after the decision point for a go-around because of power lines at the other end of the runway. A landing was attempted. The airplane exited the end of the runway, crossed a ditch, and came to rest on a street near the runway. Substantial spar damage occurred during the runway excursion. The pilot reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions associated with the flight. Canceling "the flight altogether because of weather" was a safety recommendation made by the pilot.
Factual narrative
A tailwind condition existed at the destination airport and the pilot reported that a strong gust of wind occurred on short final, which pushed the airplane a few hundred feet down the runway. He said that the gust occurred after the decision point for a go-around because of power lines at the other end of the runway. A landing was attempted. The airplane exited the end of the runway, crossed a ditch, and came to rest on a street near the runway. Substantial spar damage occurred during the runway excursion. The pilot reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions associated with the flight. Canceling "the flight altogether because of weather" was a safety recommendation made by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1818J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24248
- Airframe hours
- 4,907
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Davey Richard A
- Registered owner
- Davey Richard A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 9, 2012
- Departed
- TOP · Topeka, KS
- Destination
- 81KS · Meriden, KS
- Airport
- 81KS · Blackhawk Airport, runway 01, 1,700 × 40 ft, 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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 17, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 103 total · 59 in this make and model · 77 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- TOP
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 14, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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 N1818J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.