- Date
- January 21, 2010, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Great Barrington, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8428HPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 75299
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 improper approach, failure to perform a go-around, and failure to maintain directional control while braking after a long landing.
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
The pilot initially reported that as the airplane approached runway 11, it touched down about one-third down the runway and the left brake "stayed on a little longer" than the right brake, causing the airplane to depart the left side of the runway. The pilot subsequently reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Several witnesses, including two flight instructors, reported that the airplane approached high and fast, touched down about two-thirds down the runway, and veered off the left side of the runway during braking. Examination of the runway by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed even skid marks, beginning about 733 feet from the end of the runway, traveling off the left side of the runway. The FAA inspector added that the airplane subsequently struck a snowbank and sustained damage to the right wing spar. Examination of the brakes by the FAA inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The reported winds at an airport about 15 miles north of the accident site, about the time of the accident, were from 020 degrees at 6 knots; however, one of the flight instructor witnesses reported that the winds were favoring runway 29, at 5 to 10 knots, at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
The airplane was approaching runway 11, a 2,579-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot initially reported that the airplane touched down about one-third down the runway, the left brake "stayed on a little longer" than the right brake, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The pilot subsequently reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions on the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report form. Several witnesses, including two flight instructors, reported that the airplane approached high and fast, touched down about two-thirds down the runway, and veered off the left side of the runway during braking. Examination of the runway by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed even skid marks, beginning about 733 feet from the end of the runway, traveling off the left side of the runway. The FAA inspector added that the airplane subsequently struck a snowbank and sustained damage to the right wing spar. Examination of the brakes by the FAA inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The reported winds at an airport about 15 miles north of the accident site, about the time of the accident, were from 020 degrees at 6 knots; however, one of the flight instructor witnesses reported that the winds were favoring runway 29, at 5 to 10 knots, at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8428H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8190305
- Airframe hours
- 1,907
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Alper Gert
- Registered owner
- Alper Gert
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 2009 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- GBR · Great Barrington, MA
- Destination
- GBR · Great Barrington, MA
- Airport
- GBR · Walter J Kolazda Airport, runway 11, 2,579 × 50 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 17, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 545 total · 486 in this make and model · 491 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- PSF, 15 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 MB in all.