GAA19CA471

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA28 · Falcon, CO · July 31, 2019

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 31, 2019
Place
Falcon, CO
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N8641WPiper PA28
Defining event
Landing: Landing area undershoot
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 13, 2020
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
Case key
99974

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain a proper approach path and his delayed decision to go around, which resulted in impact with a construction barrier before the runway. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land on a runway closed for 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.

Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-235: 5 casesAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA-28-235: 2 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA-28-235: 28 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Object/animal/substance: wall/barricadeEnvironmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operationPiper PA-28-235: 1 caseAll aircraft: 29 casesProbable cause

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 the main runway was closed at the airport, so he planned to make a short-field landing on a perpendicular 2,084-ft-long runway (runway 8). During landing, the airplane "ended up short," and he attempted to go around, but he did not add power fast enough. The airplane impacted a construction barrier near the runway threshold, and the left main landing gear separated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Archived NOTAMs for the date of the accident stated the following: RWY 15/33 CLSD; RWY 08 CLSD TO LDG; RWY 26 CLSD EXC FSL. The airport manager reported that runway 15/33 was closed due to construction and that they issued a NOTAM with the intention that pilots could take off on runway 8 and conduct only full-stop landings on runway 26 to avoid construction equipment.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that the main runway was closed at the high-altitude destination airport, so he planned to make a short-field landing on a perpendicular 2,084 ft runway. During landing, the airplane "ended up short.,." and he attempted to go around, but he did not add power fast enough. The airplane impacted a construction barrier near the runway threshold and the left main landing gear separated. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about 5 minutes after the accident, the wind was from 150° at 6 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 08. Archived Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for the date of the accident stated that: RWY 15/33 CLSD RWY 08 CLSD TO LDG RWY 26 CLSD EXC FSL The airport manager reported that runway 15/33 was closed due to construction and they issued a NOTAM with the intention that pilots could take off on runway 8 and land on runway 26 to avoid construction equipment. He added that airport management had no issues if pilots landed on runway 8, as long as the landing facilitated a headwind and construction equipment was avoided. He reported that the NOTAM for runway 26 meant "closed except full stop landing."

Aircraft

Registration
N8641W
Reported as
Piper PA28 (235)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-10158
Built
1963
Airframe hours
4,413
Engine
Lycoming O-540, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 8, 2019
Departed
COS · Colorado Spring, CO
Destination
FLY · Falcon, CO
Airport
FLY · Meadow Lake, runway 08, 2,084 × 35 ft, gravel
Equipment
Handheld GPS

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
41
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
March 22, 2018
Seat
Right
Restraint
Lap only
Flight hours
1,325.6 total · 221.1 in this make and model · 826.9 as pilot in command · 19.8 in the last 90 days · 1.1 in the last 30 days · 0.1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
150° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
11,000 ft overcast
Temperature
66 °F, dew point 54 °F
Observed at
KFLY

Docket · 5

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB in all.

Other investigations on N8641W · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.