- Date
- January 20, 1996, 18:05 local (Jan 21, 1996, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- Spicewood, TX
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N41381Piper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960120001119A
- Case key
- 19748
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 intentional evasive maneuver to avoid colliding with a deer on the runway during landing. A factor was the bush that the airplane collided with during the aborted landing.
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
According to the pilot, immediately after the airplane touched down, he observed a deer on the right side of the runway. The airplane veered to the left, and the left main gear went off the side of the runway. The pilot elected to abort the landing and applied full throttle. During the acceleration, the plane's left wing struck a 'bush'. At approximately 10 to 15 feet off the ground, the pilot determined that the airplane was unable to attain sufficient altitude to clear the power lines and trees bordering the airport. The pilot elected to close the throttle and land in a clear area to the left side of the runway.
Factual narrative
On January 20, 1996, at 1805 central standard time, a Piper PA-32-260, N41381, owned and operated by a private owner, was substantially damaged while landing at the Austin Air Ranch near Spicewood, Texas. The private pilot and his 5 passengers were not injured. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The local flight originated at Angleton, Texas, at 1630. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight for which no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, immediately after the airplane touched down on runway 17, he observed a deer on the right side of the runway. The airplane's left main gear went off the side of the runway. The pilot elected to abort the landing and applied full throttle. During the acceleration, the airplane's left wing struck a "bush". At approximately 10 to 15 feet off the ground, the pilot determined that the airplane was unable to attain sufficient altitude to clear the power lines and trees bordering the airport. The pilot elected to close the throttle and land in a clear area to the left side of the runway.
Inspection of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear was damaged and the propeller blades were bent. The left wing and left horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41381
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7400030
- Airframe hours
- 3,124
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robin V. Clearman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 7, 1995 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- LBX · Angleton, TX
- Destination
- 88R
- Airport
- 88R · Austin Air Ranch, runway 17, 3,000 × 30 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 216 total · 70 in this make and model · 168 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.