- 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.
On this page
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.
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.