- Date
- October 6, 2015, 18:20 local (Oct 7, 2015, 02:20 UTC)
- Place
- Glennallen, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7879HPiper PA
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20151006017139A
- Case key
- 92138
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 maintain clearance from trees during the approach to land, resulting in a collision with trees.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot, during a landing at an airstrip, he did not realize that he was not centered on the airstrip. The pilot reported that the left wing tip struck a tree during the approach to land. He reported that he tried to control the airplane after the initial impact, however the left wing impacted a second tree, and the airplane collided with the terrain coming to rest in the brush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during a landing at an airstrip, he did not realize that he was not centered on the airstrip. The pilot reported that the left wing tip struck a tree during the approach to land. He reported that he tried to control the airplane after the initial impact, however the left wing impacted a second tree, and the airplane collided with the terrain coming to rest in the brush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7879H
- Reported as
- Piper PA (12)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12-782
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,662.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James and Deborah Lorence
- Registered owner
- James and Deborah Lorence
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 2015
- Departed
- Z93 · Copper Center, AK
- Destination
- PAGK · Glennallen, AK
- Equipment
- None
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 27, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 106 total · 40 in this make and model · 62 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK, 21 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 24, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.1 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.