- Date
- December 9, 2021, 13:28 local (19:28 UTC)
- Place
- Rockwall, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7157WPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Landing: Runway excursion
- 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
- Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20211209020929A
- Case key
- 104409
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 go-around during the unstable visual approach, which resulted in a bounced touchdown near the end of the runway and the subsequent runway excursion.
Findings · 4
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 he was flying a visual approach with a steep glidepath to avoid power lines on final approach and a higher-than-normal approach speed due to high winds. The airplane touched down toward the departure end of the runway and bounced once. The pilot did not perform a go-around and continued the landing attempt. The airplane touched down again, departed the runway, and impacted a barbed wire fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that he should have diverted to another airport and rented a vehicle to drive to the destination.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7157W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-965
- Built
- 1962
- Airframe hours
- 4,328
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mmm Friemel Inc
- Registered owner
- Mmm Friemel Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 11TX · Sherman, TX
- Destination
- F46 · Rockwall, TX
- Airport
- F46 · Ralph M Hall/Rockwall Muni, runway 17/35, 3,373 × 45 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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- KF46, 0.6 nm away
- METAR
- KF46 092035Z AUTO 23011G15KT 10SM CLR 25/15 A2979 RMK AO2 T02530150
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2022, 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.
Other investigations on N7157W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.