- Date
- May 31, 1998, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sikesville, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9324NPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980531011519A
- Case key
- 10899
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 deer which ran in front of the airplane during the landing flare. Factors associated with the accident were the inadequate airspeed which resulted in the pilot not being able to maintain directional control of the airplane as he attempted to avoid deer, and the trees which the airplane contacted.
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
Two deer ran across the runway as the airplane was at an altitude of 10-15 feet agl during the landing flare. The pilot attempted to climb the airplane over the deer. He stated the airplane was '...behind my power curve...' and he was unable to maintain directional control. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway where it contacted a small group of trees.
Factual narrative
On May 31, 1998, at 1400 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R- 200, N9324N, operated by a commercial pilot collided with trees and the terrain following a loss of control during a go-around at the Sikeston Memorial Municipal Airport, Sikeston, Missouri. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions and no flight plan was filed. The pilot received minor injuries and the passenger was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from Somerville, Tennessee, at 1255 cdt.
The pilot stated that at an altitude of about 10-15 feet above the ground, during his landing flare, two deer ran across the runway. He reported, "...I tried to go up and over them but I was behind my power curve and was unable to maintain directional control due to the crosswind and torque of the engine." The airplane veered to the left and off the side of the runway where it contacted a small group of trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9324N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-35024
- Airframe hours
- 2,800
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles E. Ellis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 1998 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- FYE · Somerville, IN
- Destination
- SIK
- Airport
- SIK · Sikeston, runway 20, 5,502 × 100 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,600 total · 27 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 88 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CGI, 20 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.