- Date
- February 28, 2021, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Aspen, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6962SPiper PA 46-350P
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20210228001769A
- Case key
- 102898
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 on 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
The pilot reported that during landing when the airplane’s nose landing gear contacted the runway the airplane veered “very sharply” to the left. The pilot attempted to correct using the rudder and brakes; however, the airplane departed the side of the runway and slid over ice and snow. The pilot then steered the airplane back towards the runway, but as he did the airplane collided with a runway light. The nose wheel landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the scene reported that a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. The FAA inspector later reported that during the airplane’s repair, no anomalies were detected which would have contributed to a loss of directional control. The pilot reported 56 hours in make and model and 246 total hours. It is unknown if his experience level contributed to the loss of control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6962S
- Reported as
- Piper PA 46-350P (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4636272
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 1,550
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David Ratajczak
- Registered owner
- David Ratajczak
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 14, 2020 · 42.3 hours before
- Departed
- KAPA · Centennial, CO
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- ASE · Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Fld, runway 33, 8,006 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, 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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 246 total · 56 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.08 inHg
- Observed at
- KASE
- METAR
- KASE 281753Z 01003KT 10SM SCT050 M07/M13 A3008 RMKAO2 SLP236 60000 T10671133 11067 116751005
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 23, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.7 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.