- Date
- October 28, 2010, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Julian, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N44078Piper PA-28-151
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FADO
- FAA report
- 20101028050999A
- Case key
- 77684
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 attain the proper touchdown point.
Findings · 2
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, he departed on the personal flight for the purpose of having an annual inspection performed on his airplane at the destination airport. While approaching the airport, he observed the windsock indicating the wind was from the south, and chose the appropriate runway. The pilot planned his approach to clear the fence at the end of the runway and still have enough distance for the roll out on the grass runway. Knowing that the terrain sloped upward from the fence to the runway threshold, he aimed to touchdown on the crest of the hill. As the airplane approached the runway, the pilot added power to compensate for a fast rate of decent, then reduced power when he felt he had was aligned appropriately. The airplane touched down about half way up the slope and the nose gear collapsed; the airplane came to rest at the top of the slope. According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the firewall was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he departed on the personal flight for the purpose of having an annual inspection performed on his airplane at the destination airport. While approaching the airport, he observed the windsock indicating the wind was from the south, and he planned to land on runway 23. The pilot stated that he planned his approach to clear the fence at the end of the runway and still have enough room to stop on the 1,400-foot grass runway. He also stated that he knew that the terrain sloped upwards from the fence to the runway threshold, and that he "was aiming for the crest of the hill." As the airplane approached the runway, the pilot first added power to compensate for a "fast rate of decent," then reduced power when he felt he had the runway made. However, "the rise was greater than I thought, and the airspeed was lower than I thought." The airplane touched down about half way up the slope, the nose gear collapsed, and the airplane came to rest at the top of the slope. According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the firewall was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44078
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7415577
- Airframe hours
- 3,172
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 20, 2009
- Departed
- LQK · Liberty, SC
- Destination
- N88 · Julian, NC
- Airport
- N88 · Kecks Airport, runway 23, 1,400 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- September 27, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 835 in this make and model · 767 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- BUY, 10 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 23, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 898 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.