- Date
- September 17, 1997, 13:10 local (18:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fargo, ND
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2680QPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970917027019A
- Case key
- 10702
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 misjudgment of altitude and distance to the runway, while on final approach to land, and failure to attain the proper touchdown point on the runway during the landing. The exposed runway lip was a related factor.
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 touched down prior to the approach end of the runway. The end of the runway was approximately five inches higher than the surrounding terrain on which the airplane touched down. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the landing gear contacted the lip at the end of the runway.
Factual narrative
On September 17, 1997, at 1310 central daylight time, a Piper PA- 32R-300, N2680Q, operated by a commercial pilot landed short of runway 26 at the Hector International Airport, Fargo, North Dakota. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. The flight departed Pipestone, Minnesota, on September 17, 1997, at 1200 central daylight time.
The pilot reported that the airplane touched down in the grass one foot short of the approach end of runway 26. He reported that the center of the end of the runway is five inches higher than the grass. According to the pilot the main landing gear was damaged when it contacted this rise at the beginning of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2680Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7780261
- Airframe hours
- 2,872
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clarence J. Taylor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 8, 1997 · 21 hours before
- Departed
- PQN · Pipestone, MN
- Destination
- FAR
- Airport
- FAR · Hector International, runway 26, 4,387 × 100 ft
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
- 60
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 2,500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.