- Date
- September 17, 2008, 21:00 local (Sep 18, 2008, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeville, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4349KPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080917850359A
- Case key
- 69041
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 lack of clearance from the approach lights and the distraction of those bright approach lights during his night approach.
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 going to perform two night landings at the accident airport before departing to his destination. He said that he was too high on final and reduced the power to idle and descended. The approach lights were on and the pilot reported that they were bright. He said that he was pressing the push to talk switch while looking at the lights and heard a loud bang. He stated that the airplane porpoised and he then regained control and landed. The approach lights were damaged and the airplane sustained substantial damage. His safety recommendation said, "I should have aborted landing when I saw I was too high – went around, adjusted light brightness in the pattern and then landed."
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was going to perform two night landings at the accident airport before departing to his destination. He said that he was too high on final and reduced the power to idle and descended. The approach lights were on and the pilot reported that they were bright. He said that he was pressing the push to talk switch while looking at the lights and heard a loud bang. He stated that the airplane porpoised, he then regained control, and landed. The approach lights were damaged and the airplane sustained substantial damage. His safety recommendation said, "I should have aborted landing when I saw I was too high – went around, adjusted light brightness in the pattern and then landed."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4349K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8416067
- Airframe hours
- 9,244
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sigurd Larsen III
- Registered owner
- Thunderbird Aircraft Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 18, 2008
- Departed
- LVN · Lakeville, MN
- Destination
- FCM · Minneapolis, MN
- Airport
- LVN · Airlake Airport, runway 30
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 256 total · 33 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- LVN
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 N4349K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.