CEN13LA188

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA 46-350P · Olathe, KS · March 7, 2013

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
March 7, 2013, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
Place
Olathe, KS
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Aircraft
N715BBPiper PA 46-350P
Defining event
Takeoff: Runway excursion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 11, 2013
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
Piper Aircraft, Federal Aviation Administration
FAA report
20130307005649A
Case key
86395

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 directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.

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.

Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA 46-350P: 40 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Action: incorrect action performancePersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA 46-350P: 8 casesAll aircraft: 1,386 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA 46-350P: 11 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause

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

During the takeoff roll, the airplane veered to the right, and the pilot applied left rudder to correct back to the runway centerline. About the same time, the engine turbocharger became effective, increasing the left yaw. The pilot was unable to counteract the left yaw and aborted the takeoff. The airplane departed the runway and impacted a snow bank, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The lower section of the engine mount had fractured surfaces consistent with overstress fractures, which were likely caused by the nose landing gear collapse sequence.

Factual narrative

On March 7, 2013, about 1530 central standard time, a Piper PA-46-350P airplane, N715BB, was substantially damaged during a runway excursion at Johnson County Executive Airport (KOJC), Olathe, Kansas. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Johnson County Aviation Group LLC and operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from KOJC at 1530. During the takeoff roll, the pilot reported the airplane veered to the right so he applied left rudder to correct back to the runway centerline. At about the same time, the engine turbocharger became effective, increasing the left yaw. The pilot was unable to counteract the left yaw with the rudder and aborted the takeoff. The airplane impacted a snow bank and departed the runway into soft ground, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear and substantial damage to the firewall and engine mount. Federal Aviation Administration officials inspected the steering bungee/spring, rudder cable tension, rudder trim position, tire pressure, and rake angle of the nose gear. The engine mount was examined at the National Transportation Safety Board Materials Laboratory. The fractured surfaces on the engine mount were consistent with overstress fractures. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Aircraft

Registration
N715BB
Reported as
Piper PA 46-350P
Category
Airplane
Serial number
4636038
Engine
Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Johnson County Aviation Group LLC
Registered owner
Johnson County Aviation Group LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
KOJC · Olathe, KS
Destination
KOJC · Olathe, KS
Airport
KOJC · Johnson County Executive, runway 18, 4,098 × 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
52
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 17, 2012
Seat
Left
Flight hours
199 total · 22 in this make and model · 128 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
120° at 7 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
45 °F, dew point 28 °F
Altimeter
30.17 inHg
Observed at
KOJC

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 6, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.