- Date
- May 11, 2002, 12:20 local (18:20 UTC)
- Place
- Monument Valley, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N345MPiper PA-28-140B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020511009759A
- Case key
- 54685
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 inadvertent stall/mush to the ground during landing flare. Contributing factors were the earth berm along the side of the runway, and the wind shear weather condition on short final.
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 pilot said that he arrived at his destination 2-3 hours after the planned arrival time. At approximately 50 feet above ground level the airplane experienced a significant loss in air speed due to a "sudden wind shift/shear." The aircraft was moved approximately 50 feet to the right and impacted an earth berm. The nose wheel landing gear collapsed aft, and the engine mount, engine firewall, cowling and fuselage were bent.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 2002, at approximately 1220 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140B, N345M, was substantially damaged following impact with terrain subsequent to an inadvertent stall/mush at Monument Valley Airport, Monument Valley, Utah. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that originated from Chandler Municipal Airport, Chandler, Arizona, at 1013. The pilot had not filed a flight plan. The pilot said that he researched the airport before his flight. He was aware of the normal procedures regarding carrying more airspeed and placing the aircraft "firmly" on the runway. He arrived at the destination 2-3 hours after the planned arrival time. At approximately 50 feet above ground level, the airplane experienced a significant loss in air speed due to a "sudden wind shift/shear." The aircraft was moved approximately 50 feet to the right and impacted an earth berm. The nose wheel landing gear collapsed aft, and the engine mount, engine firewall, cowling and fuselage were bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N345M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-25705
- Airframe hours
- 1,560
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ronald V. Delong
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2001 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- CHD · Chandler, AZ
- Destination
- UT25 · Monument Valley, UT
- Airport
- UT25 · Monument Valley, runway 16, 4,000 × 75 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 12, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 418 total · 410 in this make and model · 388 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- CEZ, 75 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 10, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 360 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.