- Date
- August 27, 2017, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, VT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N30897Piper J5A
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170827013679A
- Case key
- 95956
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 unstabilized approach, which resulted in landing long and fast, and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from trees during a go-around.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on grass surface next to a hard-surfaced runway, the airplane approached "too high and landed too fast." He added that he was "not sure" if he could stop the airplane in the remaining distance, so he "decided to go-around, but did not leave…enough room to clear the trees" at the end of the landing area. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees and stopped. The right wing, fuselage, and windscreen sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 320° at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was variable and that he landed parallel to runway 29.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on grass surface next to a hard-surfaced runway, the airplane approached "too high and landed too fast." He added that he was "not sure" if he could stop the airplane in the remaining distance, so he "decided to go-around, but did not leave myself [himself] enough room to clear the trees" at the end of the landing area. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees and stopped. The right wing, fuselage, and windscreen sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report that there were any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport, about the time of the accident, reported wind from 320° at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was variable, and he landed parallel to runway 29.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30897
- Reported as
- Piper J5A (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5-279
- Built
- 1940
- Airframe hours
- 2,804.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 2017
- Departed
- RUT · Rutland, VT
- Destination
- VSF · Springfield, VT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- VSF · Hartness State (Springfield), runway 29, 3,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2016
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 560 total · 9 in this make and model · 401 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- KVSF
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.