- Date
- September 18, 2004, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Port Huron, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5891HPiper PA-16
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Detroit, MI FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040918026909A
- Case key
- 60490
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 of the airplane during the landing roll which resulted in the overload failure of the right 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 experienced a loss of directional control and gear collapse during a landing roll. The pilot reported the airplane "... lost directional control swerving to right because right landing gear broke. Aircraft slid off runway - crapping right wing tip." According to airport personnel the airplane veered to the left coming to rest off the left side of the runway with the right main landing gear folded under the fuselage. Inspection of the runway revealed two skid marks which veered to the left, followed by another skid mark which contained a gouge in the runway.
Factual narrative
On September 18, 2004, at 1530 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-16, N5891H, experienced a loss of directional control while landing on runway 04 (5,103 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) at the St. Clair County Airport, Port Huron, Michigan. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged when the right main landing gear collapsed. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Waterford, Michigan, at 1430.
The pilot reported the airplane "... lost directional control swerving to right because right landing gear broke. Aircraft slid off runway - scrapping right wing tip."
According to airport personnel the airplane veered to the left coming to rest off the left side of the runway with the right main landing gear folded under the fuselage. Inspection of the runway revealed two skid marks which veered to the left, followed by another skid mark which contained a gouge in the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5891H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-16
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16-512
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nancy Walters
- Registered owner
- Nancy Walters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PTK · Waterford, MI
- Destination
- PHN · Port Huron, MI
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,736 total · 40 in this make and model · 1,590 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- PHN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.