- Date
- October 20, 2018, 12:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- East Moriches, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8275VPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area overshoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181020020399A
- Case key
- 98605
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 delayed initiation of a go-around and his subsequent use of the improper go-around procedure, which resulted in a landing area overshoot.
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 stated that, during the preflight inspection, he did not observe anything abnormal. He added that, during the initial taxi, the airplane "pulled more power than usual" but that he observed no issues with the brakes or flight controls. The pilot reported that, during approach to a 2,300-ft-long grass airstrip about 60 knots with full flaps, he reduced power to idle to flare. The airplane was "still floating," and about midfield, he saw that the rpm had increased with the power at idle to between about 1,000 to 1,200 rpm. He retracted the flaps to 15° to execute a go-around, but before he increased power, the airplane touched down on the runway. He was going to continue the go-around but realized the airplane would be unable to clear power lines and trees at the end of the runway. He then braked hard but was unable to stop the airplane on the grass, so he shut off the fuel pump and closed the mixture. He added that the "engine did not stop," and the airplane continued moving forward due to momentum. He applied full brakes with an "s turn and 180 turn," the airplane slid on the grass, and the left wing struck a wooden pole. The airplane then came to an abrupt stop. The pilot stated that he saw that the engine and propeller had stopped The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that he attempted to examine the engine, but the airplane was unavailable for examination. The airplane manufacturer's prescribed "Go Around" checklist stated: Throttle………………………..FULL Carb Heat……………………….OFF Flaps……….RETRACT TO 20 DEG Vy……………………….….79 KIAS Flaps…………..…RETRACT PROC It is likely that the pilot flew the approach at too high of an airspeed and initiated the go-around too late, which resulted in the airplane floating and the subsequent landing area overshoot.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the owner wanted him to fly the airplane to a mechanic to look at the airplane "deeply" but did not mention any specific mechanical issues with the airplane. During preflight, he did not observe anything abnormal. He also added that, during the initial taxi, the airplane "pulled more power than usual", but he observed no issues with the brakes or flight controls. The pilot reported that, during approach to a 2,300 ft grass airstrip, about 60 knots with full flaps, he reduced power to idle to flare. The airplane was "still floating" and about midfield he observed that the rpm had increased with the power at idle to about 1,000 to 1,200 rpm. He retracted the flaps to 15° to execute a go around, but before he increased power, the airplane touched down on the runway. He was going to continue the go around but realized the airplane would be unable to clear power lines and trees at the end of the runway. He then braked hard, but was unable to stop on the grass, so he shut off the fuel pump and closed the mixture. He added that the "engine did not stop" and the airplane continued due to momentum. He applied full brakes with an "s turn and 180 turn", the airplane slid on the grass, and the left wing struck a wooden pole. The airplane came to an abrupt stop and he observed the engine and propeller had stopped. He added that he was "very familiar with this airport, and believe[d] the accident [was] due to mechanical failure." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that he attempted to examine the airplane engine, but the airplane was unavailable. The manufacturer's prescribed "Go Around" checklist stated: Throttle………………………..FULL Carb Heat……………………….OFF Flaps……….RETRACT TO 20 DEG Vy……………………….….79KIAS Flaps…………..…RETRACT PROC
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8275V
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (161)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8316001
- Built
- 1982
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Destination
- 49N · East Moriches, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 49N · Lufker, runway S, 2,300 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 24, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,425 total · 252 in this make and model · 877 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 110 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.70 inHg
- Observed at
- KHWV, 5 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 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.