- Date
- August 19, 2017, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Mohave, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N536CAPiper PA 28
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170819011709A
- Case key
- 95868
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 improper airspeed and pitch control during landing in variable, gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and hard landing.
Findings · 5
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 the approach to the desert airport, the wind had increased to about 15 knots, and it was gusting. He reported that, during landing, "a gust of wind hit me from the opposite direction of flight causing a stall." The airplane stalled about 8 ft above the runway and landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts. The METAR at the nearest airport (7 miles from accident airport) reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 4 knots. An hour later, the METAR reported that the wind was 10 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the approach to the desert airport, the wind had increased to about 15kts and gusting. During landing, he reported that, "a gust of wind hit me from the opposite direction of flight causing a stall." The airplane stalled about 8ft above runway 18 and landed hard. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts. The METAR at the nearest airport reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 4kts and the temperature was 95°F. The field elevation was 725ft and the density altitude was 3,315ft. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N536CA
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28 (161)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841024
- Built
- 1988
- Airframe hours
- 12,700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2017
- Departed
- IFP · Bullhead City, AZ
- Destination
- A20 · Mohave, AZ
- Airport
- A20 · Sun Valley, runway 18, 3,700 × 42 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 27, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 212 total · 208 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KIFP, 9 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 27, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.