- Date
- September 13, 2009, 20:02 local (Sep 14, 2009, 00:02 UTC)
- Place
- Chamblee, GA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N664RSPiper PA46
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 3, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Case key
- 74720
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. Contributing to the accident was pilot fatigue.
Findings · 3
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
After having trouble maintaining altitude and aligning the airplane with the localizer, the pilot conducted a visual approach for Runway 20L. The aircraft touched down and continued off the end of the runway, striking localizer equipment and substantially damaging the left wing. No mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot or identified postaccident. The recorded winds on the field were calm approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot reported that he had been ill for several days prior to the accident, and postaccident medical testing revealed that he was dehydrated due to the illness. Additionally, the pilot reported that he did not eat anything on the day of the accident. The pilot was airborne for approximately 8 hours, including fuel stops and periods of maneuvering due to weather. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot held a third-class medical certificate with a limitation for his diabetic condition.
Factual narrative
After having trouble maintaining altitude and aligning the airplane with the localizer, the pilot conducted a visual approach for runway 20L. The aircraft touched down, and continued off the end of the runway, striking localizer equipment, which substantially damaged the left wing. No mechanical malfunctions were reported by the pilot or identified post-accident. The recorded winds on the field were calm approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot reported he had been ill for several days prior to the accident, and post-accident medical testing revealed he was dehydrated due to the illness. Additionally, the pilot reported he did not eat anything on the day of the accident. The pilot was airborne for approximately 8 hours, including fuel stops and periods of maneuvering due to weather. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot held a third-class medical certificate with a limitation for his diabetic condition.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N664RS
- Reported as
- Piper PA46 (350P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4636313
- Airframe hours
- 1,224
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO540, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Richard T. Smith
- Registered owner
- Malibu, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2009
- Departed
- PHT · Paris, TN
- Destination
- PDK · Chamblee, GA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PDK · DeKalb-Peachtree, runway 20L, 6,001 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,648 total · 2,500 in this make and model · 3,648 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KPDK
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 478 KB in all.