ERA21LA067

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA23 · Milton, FL · December 6, 2020

Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal report
Date
December 6, 2020, 13:45 local (19:45 UTC)
Place
Milton, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N78329Piper PA23
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed
Report
Approved by Office Director
Investigation class
Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20201206019269A
Case key
102401

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 failure to attain a proper touchdown point and his landing with a high approach speed, which resulted in a runway overrun.

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.

Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-23-250: 3 casesAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA-23-250: 11 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-23-250: 4 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause

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

The pilot/owner was conducting a no-flap landing in the multiengine airplane. The pilot stated that the left main landing gear brake failed on rollout, and the airplane then overran the end of the 3,701-foot-long runway. The left wing struck part of the runway’s lighting system, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s left wing. A witness stated that the airplane landed with at a high speed and touched down at/about midfield. A cursory examination of the airplane’s brakes following the accident revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunctions for failures that would have precluded normal operation. Review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the airplane did not have a current annual inspection. Further, the pilot did not hold a multi-engine rating for airplanes, did maintain a personal flight logbook, did not have an endorsement documenting a flight review (or other equivalent proficiency) within the preceding 24 calendar months. Based on the pilot’s lack of certification to operate multiengine airplane and proof of recent flight history, he was likely not proficient in operating the airplane. Further, he likely landed long and fast with insufficient runway remaining to slow down, which resulted in the runway overrun.

Aircraft

Registration
N78329
Reported as
Piper PA23 (250)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
27-2329
Airframe hours
3,866.14
Engines
Lycoming O-540-A1D5, reciprocatingLycoming O-540-A1D5, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
None; Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · September 8, 2011
Destination
Same as departure
Airport
2R4 · Peter Prince Field Airport, runway 18, 3,701 × 75 ft, asphalt
Equipment
Unknown

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
77
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Seat
Left
Flight hours
161 total

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
180° at 5 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
63 °F, dew point 32 °F
Altimeter
29.98 inHg
Observed at
NDZ, 4 nm away

Docket · 4

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 18, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.