- Date
- February 14, 2010, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Alton Bay, NH
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N236PRPiper PA-28-236
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100214004969A
- Case key
- 75378
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 directional control while landing on an ice runway.
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
According to the pilot the landing on the ice runway was smooth but the airplane began to drift left. The pilot was hesitant to use heavy rudder and brake inputs, as he was unsure of their effect when landing on ice. As the pilot continued to apply right rudder, the left main landing gear began “dragging on snow,” which prevented the plane from turning right. The airplane veered into a snow bank, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. A crosswind of 16 knots, gusting to 23 knots, was present at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the landing on the ice runway was smooth, but the airplane began to drift left. The pilot was hesitant to use heavy rudder and brake inputs, as he was unsure of their effect when landing on ice. As the pilot continued to apply right rudder, the left main landing gear began “dragging on snow”, which prevented the plane from turning right. The airplane veered into a snow bank resulting in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane. A crosswind at 16 knots, gusting to 23 knots, was present at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N236PR
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-236
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7911272
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Connecticut Flyers Inc
- Registered owner
- Connecticut Flyers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KSNC · Chester, CT
- Destination
- B18 · Alton Bay, NH
- Airport
- B18 · Alton Bay Seaplane Base, runway 01, 2,600 × 100 ft, ice
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 580 total · 60 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 16 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.32 inHg
- Observed at
- LCI, 10 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 12, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 MB 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.