- Date
- May 9, 2017, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fremont, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N63944Piper PA23
- Defining event
- Approach: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170509008729A
- Case key
- 95181
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 an adequate glidepath during approach, which resulted in an impact with a semi-truck.
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
The pilot reported that, during approach in visual meteorological conditions, he referenced the RNAV instrument approach for the runway to assist with vertical guidance "as [there] is no VASI [visual approach slope indicator]" for that runway. He added that he thought he was high enough as he crossed the adjacent highway, but the airplane hit a semi-truck that was traveling across the airplane's flightpath. The airplane continued on short approach, landed, and the main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right engine firewalls and nacelle tanks. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during approach in visual meteorological conditions he referenced the RNAV instrument approach for the runway to assist with vertical guidance "as [there] is no VASI (visual approach slope indicator)" for that runway. He added that he thought he was high enough as he crossed the adjacent highway, but the airplane hit a semi-truck that was traveling across the airplane's flight path. The airplane continued on short approach, landed, and the main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right engine firewalls, and nacelle tanks. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63944
- Reported as
- Piper PA23 (250)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-7854077
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 4,069
- Engines
- Lycoming TI0-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 10, 2017
- Departed
- 14G · Fremont, OH
- Destination
- 14G · Fremont, OH
- Airport
- 14G · Fremont, runway 9, 4,137 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Auto-pilot
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,575 total · 785 in this make and model · 3,330 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KTDZ, 20 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 957 KB 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.