- Date
- July 16, 2012, 15:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Brevard, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N813TCPiper PA32-301FT
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 7, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA Charlotte FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120716015199A
- Case key
- 84366
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 execute a go-around following an approach that was high and fast, which resulted in a runway overrun.
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
While on final approach to land, the pilot noticed a tree that was located near the end of the runway. To avoid the tree, he “stayed high” until he cleared the approach end of the runway and then attempted to “drop quickly” to the field. The airplane touched down on the left main landing gear roughly 2,000 feet beyond the threshold of the 2,900-foot-long runway, and the pilot applied the brakes. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane before it overran the runway. The right main landing gear struck an airport sign, and the airplane came to rest in brambles 100 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane’s firewall was substantially damaged. During the examination, no evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation was discovered. During a postaccident interview, the pilot stated that, after the accident, he discovered that the tree he had attempted to avoid was actually located to the right of the runway.
Factual narrative
***This report was modified on October 29, 2012. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** While on approach to a runway, the pilot of the airplane attempted to avoid a tree that was located near the end of the runway. To avoid the tree, he “stayed high” until he cleared the approach end of the runway and then attempted to “drop quickly” to the field. The airplane touched down on the left main landing gear roughly 2,000 feet beyond the threshold of the 2,900-foot long runway, and the pilot applied the brakes. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane before it overran the runway. The right main landing gear struck an airport sign, and the airplane came to rest in brambles 100 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane’s firewall was substantially damaged. During the examination, no evidence of any preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were discovered. During a postaccident interview, the pilot stated that after the accident, he discovered that the tree he had attempted to avoid was actually located to the right of the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N813TC
- Reported as
- Piper PA32-301FT
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3232045
- Airframe hours
- 906
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Garrett John C
- Registered owner
- Garrett John C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2012
- Departed
- KLYH · Lynchburg, VA
- Destination
- 3NR3 · Brevard, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 3NR3 · Transylvania County Airport, runway 09, 2,903 × 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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 17, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 860 total · 715 in this make and model · 860 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 336° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KAVL, 11 nm away
Docket · 10
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.1 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.