ERA14CA407

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-140 · Taylorsville, KY · August 23, 2014

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
August 23, 2014, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
Place
Taylorsville, KY
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Approach
Aircraft
N41224Piper PA-28-140
Defining event
Approach-VFR go-around: Collision during takeoff/land
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 27, 2014
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA FSDO
FAA report
20140823015529A
Case key
89954

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's decision to land on a wet runway and delayed go-around attempt, which resulted in a collision with terrain.

Findings · 4

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.

Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface: wet surfaceEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcomePiper PA-28-140: 4 casesAll aircraft: 141 cases
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA-28-140: 17 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: surface speed/brakingAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Attain/maintain not possiblePiper PA-28-140: 1 caseAll aircraft: 238 cases

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, after returning from a local flight he configured the airplane for a short field landing on a 1,600 foot-long grass runway. The airplane touched down about 75 feet (ft) past the runway approach end and the pilot applied brakes, which were ineffective due to the wet landing surface. The pilot stated that he quickly added power and the airplane rolled about 1,350 ft before it lifted off the runway. He then maneuvered to avoid tall obstacles at the end of the runway and entered a shallow left turn, but the airplane descended onto a road. The left main landing gear caught the road embankment, separated, and the airplane continued over the road and came to rest in the grass. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation and that he had successfully landed on the 1,600 foot runway prior to the accident. The airport elevation was 740 ft and the density altitude was 2,671 ft at the time of the accident. Utilizing ambient whether conditions, the only takeoff performance data available in the pilot's operating handbook indicated that the airplane's takeoff distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle should have been approximately 1,500 ft.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, after returning from a local flight he configured the airplane for a short field landing on a 1,600 foot-long grass runway. The airplane touched down about 75 feet (ft) past the runway approach end and the pilot applied brakes, which were ineffective due to the wet landing surface. The pilot stated that he quickly added power and the airplane rolled about 1,350 ft before it lifted off the runway. He then maneuvered to avoid tall obstacles at the end of the runway and entered a shallow left turn, but the airplane descended onto a road. The left main landing gear caught the road embankment, separated, and the airplane continued over the road and came to rest in the grass. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation and that he had successfully landed on the 1600 foot runway prior to the accident. The airport elevation was 740 feet (ft) and the density altitude was 2,671 ft at the time of the accident. Utilizing ambient whether conditions, the only takeoff performance data available in the pilot's operating handbook indicated that the airplane's takeoff distance to clear a 50-foot obstacle should have been approximately 1,500 ft.

Aircraft

Registration
N41224
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-7425299
Built
1975
Airframe hours
3,404
Engine
Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 28, 2014
Departed
58KY · Taylorsville, KY
Destination
58KY · Taylorsville, KY
Airport
58KY · Willow Island Airpark, runway 22, 1,600 × 60 ft, grass/turf
Equipment
Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS

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
62
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
February 16, 2014
Seat
Left
Restraint
3-point
Flight hours
231 total · 132 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
79 °F, dew point 73 °F
Altimeter
30.01 inHg
Observed at
LOU, 17 nm away

Docket · 6

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.