- Date
- September 19, 1999, 16:15 local (22:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rifle, CO
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N323DTPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990919026869A
- Case key
- 47419
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 aircraft control during landing roll. Factors were the strong crosswind weather conditions, and the runway sign that the airplane impacted.
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 weather conditions along his route of flight to Las Vegas, Nevada, had deteriorated, and he wanted to land to let the weather pass. He said that the airport's unicom reported winds at 340 degrees for 30 knots, gusting to 35 knots. A witness said that the pilot made one attempt to land on runway 26, then performed a go-around. The witness said weather conditions were deteriorating, and he observed the airplane make a second attempt to land. The pilot said that he landed on the left side of the runway, and a 'gust seemed to have kicked the aircraft further to the left [and] struck a runway sign.'
Factual narrative
On September 19, 1999, at 1615 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N323DT, was substantially damaged during landing roll at Garfield County Regional Airport, Rifle, Colorado. The non-instrument rated private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. The airplane was being operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight that originated from Aspen, Colorado, approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. No flight plan had been filed.
According to the pilot, weather conditions along his route of flight to Las Vegas, Nevada, had deteriorated, and he wanted to land to let the weather pass. He said that the airport's unicom reported winds at 340 degrees at 30 knots, gusting to 35 knots. A witness said that the pilot made one attempt to land on runway 26, then performed a go-around. The witness said weather conditions were deteriorating, and he observed the airplane make a second attempt to land. The pilot said that he landed on the left side of the runway, and a "gust seemed to have kicked the aircraft further to the left [and] struck a runway sign." The left main landing gear separated from the airplane, the engine mount was bent, and the engine firewall was wrinkled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N323DT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7740024
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Michael Rood
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ASE · Aspen, CO
- Destination
- RIL · Rifle, CO
- Airport
- RIL · Garfield County Regional, runway 26, 7,000 × 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 155 total · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 24 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.