- Date
- January 19, 1994, 18:29 local (Jan 20, 1994, 00:29 UTC)
- Place
- Dallas, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N123AHPiper PA-34-200T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940119000629A
- Case key
- 18990
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. A factor was the pilot's disorientation and dark night conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Following takeoff, the pilot noticed the upper door latch on the cabin entry door was not secure. He decided to return to the airport for landing and secure the door before continuing his flight. According to the tower controller, the pilot became geographically disoriented flying beneath the clouds and she assisted him in finding the airport. She then observed the airplane land short of the runway.
Factual narrative
On January 19, 1994, at 1829 central standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N123AH, was substantially damaged during landing at Redbird Municipal Airport, Dallas, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight to Kimble County Airport, Junction, Texas.
The pilot stated to the investigator-in-charge during a telephonic interview, that after takeoff he noticed the upper door latch on the cabin entry door was not secure. He decided to return to the airport, land, and secure the door before continuing his flight. He further reported that he "touched down short of the runway" resulting in damage to the landing gear, propeller, and right wing.
According to the air traffic controller working in the Redbird tower, "the pilot became geographically disoriented below the clouds and I assisted the pilot in finding the airport." She then observed the airplane land short.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N123AH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-8070149
- Airframe hours
- 2,147
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-EB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Helbing, Arlington Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 9, 1993 · 30 hours before
- Destination
- JCT · Junction, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- RBD · Dallas-Redbird, runway 17, 3,801 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 80
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,097 total · 2,200 in this make and model · 4,772 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RBD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.