- Date
- June 14, 1997, 00:30 local (04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Morgantown, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9268WPiper PA-28
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970614014219A
- Case key
- 28205
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 decision to attempt a landing on and his failure to align with an unlighted runway at night. Factors were the lack of runway lighting and the night light condition.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he keyed his mike several times in an attempt to activate the runway lighting. However, his attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot stated that he believed that he had the runway in sight, even without the lights, and continued with his approach and landing. At touchdown the pilot said he felt a jolt and the airplane came to an immediate stop 15 feet south of the runway. All three landing gear collapsed and both wings were substantially damaged
Factual narrative
On June 14, 1997, at about 0030 eastern daylight time a Piper PA-28, N9268W, owned and operated by the private pilot collided with the ground 15 feet south of runway 28, while attempting to land without runway lighting, at the Morgantown airport, Morgantown, Pennsylvania. The pilot and sole occupant was not injured, however, the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual Meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he keyed his mike several times in an attempt to activate the runway lighting. However, his attempts were unsuccessful. The pilot stated that he believed that he had the runway in sight, even without the lights, and continued with his approach and landing. At touchdown the pilot said he felt a jolt and the airplane came to an immediate stop. All three landing gear collapsed and both wings were substantially damaged. The owner/pilot failed to submit an NTSB Form 6120.1/2 by the time of this report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9268W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-10941
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wendell L. May
- Registered owner
- Morgantown Aero Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- DAA · Ft Belvor, VA
- Destination
- GPA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PA · Morgantown, runway 28, 2,600 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.