- Date
- May 3, 2006, 14:17 local (21:17 UTC)
- Place
- Columbia, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N441MAPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20060503005309A
- Case key
- 63635
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 directional control during the landing roll.
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 airplane veered off the runway surface and collided with terrain. The pilot completed a normal approach and touched down on the runway surface. After a short ground roll the left wing lifted and the airplane began to veer from the runway centerline. The pilot attempted to rectify the heading deviation with use of the aileron and rudder controls. Despite his attempts, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, coming to rest in a ditch. The pilot estimated the winds to be from 160 degrees at 8 knots. An airplane mechanic inspected the wreckage after the accident. He noted no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The airplane veered off the runway and collided with terrain. The pilot received the Automated Weather Observing Station (AWOS) information for the destination airport while en route on the 141 nautical mile cross-country flight. As he entered the proximity of the airport, he observed other airplanes in the traffic pattern utilizing runway 17. He completed a normal approach and touched down on the runway surface. After a short ground roll the left wing lifted and the airplane began to veer from the runway centerline. The pilot attempted to rectify the heading deviation with use of the aileron and rudder controls. Despite his attempts the airplane departed the right side of the runway, coming to rest in a ditch. The airplane incurred damage to the right wing spar and firewall.
The pilot estimated the winds to be from 160 degrees at 8 knots.
An airplane mechanic inspected the wreckage after the accident. He noted no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
The Airport Facility Directory Southwest (AFD/SW) contained the following entry in the "Airport Remarks" section for the destination airport: "Varying wind directions and velocity may be encountered at mid point of runway 17-35 due to terrain features and wind flow patterns." The pilot indicated that he had reviewed the AFD comments prior to departing for the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N441MA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843341
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Justice Aviation
- Registered owner
- Scott G. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- PRB · Paso Robles, CA
- Destination
- O22 · Columbia, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- O22 · Columbia Airport, runway 17, 4,670 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 540 total · 470 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.85 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.