- Date
- August 14, 2011, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Front Royal, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4341MPiper PA-28-236
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110814030379A
- Case key
- 81474
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 · 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, he was overflying the airport but had to land quickly for personal reasons. He circled north of the airport and performed a straight-in, stabilized approach to the runway. He reduced the power as he crossed the runway threshold and landed. According to a witness, the airplane landed about halfway down the runway and was traveling very fast. The witness stated that the brakes were applied, and the airplane swerved, overran the runway, and departed the right side of the runway. The airplane traveled down an embankment and came to rest in a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was overflying the airport when he had a sudden urge to go to the bathroom. He circled north of the airport and performed a straight-in, stabilized approach to the runway with 25 degrees of flaps. The pilot reduced the power as he crossed the runway threshold and made a normal landing. According to a witness, the airplane landed approximately halfway down the runway and was traveling very fast. The witness stated that the brakes were applied, the airplane swerved, and then it departed the right side of the runway. The airplane traveled down an embankment and came to rest in a ditch resulting in substantial damage to the wing spar and fuselage. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4341M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-236
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8411010
- Airframe hours
- 1,785
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540 SERIES, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Av-Ed Flight School
- Registered owner
- Isles Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GWW · Goldsboro, NC
- Destination
- JYO · Leesburg, VA
- Airport
- FRR · Front Royal-Warren County Airp, runway 10, 3,007 × 75 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
- 49
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 239 total · 39 in this make and model · 188 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- OKV, 14 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 24, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.
Other investigations on N4341M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.