- Date
- March 20, 2020, 17:58 local (22:58 UTC)
- Place
- Canyon, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4910PPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200320002189A
- Case key
- 101099
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a collision with a ditch and the left main landing gear collapsing.
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
According to the pilot, he performed an off-airport landing to a wheat field. During the landing roll, the left main landing gear encountered a ditch about midfield and collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut. The pilot reported that "Further care should have been conducted in evaluating the LZ (Landing Zone)." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he performed an off-airport landing to a wheat field. During the landing roll, the left main landing gear encountered a ditch about midfield. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that, "Further care should have been conducted in evaluating the LZ (Landing Zone)." The pilot reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from the north at 10 knots and he that he landed the airplane into the wind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4910P
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7832
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 6,022
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 2019
- Departed
- Canyon, TX
- Destination
- Canyon, TX
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 4, 2019
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 875 total · 642 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 0.3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- KAMA, 18 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 24, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.