- Date
- May 19, 2003, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pierre, SD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9601DPiper PA-22-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA- Rapid City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030519009769A
- Case key
- 57028
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 adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. A contributing factor was the collapse of the main landing gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane impacted terrain while landing at an off airport landing area. The pilot reported the airplane abruptly lost airspeed and impacted terrain, the main landing gear subsequently collapsed and the airplane slid to a stop. The weather reporting station at the departure airport reported the winds at 1353 as 340 degrees at 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 19, 2003, at 1400 central daylight time, a Piper PA-22-160, N9601D, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain during landing approach to an off airport landing area near Pierre, South Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The flight departed from Pierre Regional Airport (PIR), Pierre, South Dakota, at 1345 central daylight time.
The pilot reported his airspeed abruptly dropped while on approach about eight to ten feet above ground level. The pilot stated the main landing gear collapsed upon impact with terrain and the airplane subsequently slid 40 to 60 feet. The pilot noted there were no holes in the landing surface.
The pilot reported no failures or malfunctions with respect to the airplane or its systems.
The weather reporting station at the departure airport reported the winds at 1353 as 340 degrees at 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9601D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-6510
- Engine
- Lycoming O320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PIR · Pierre, SD
- Destination
- PIR
- Airport
- PIR · Pierre Airport
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 3, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,072 total · 372 in this make and model · 1,072 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.32 inHg
- Observed at
- PIR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.