- Date
- May 10, 2008, 13:47 local (20:47 UTC)
- Place
- Blythe, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N103JHPiper PA-34
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080510837929A
- Case key
- 68122
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.
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 made a normal approach to runway 26 and touched down at 95 miles per hour (mph). After decelerating to 70 mph, the airplane began drifting to the left. The pilot corrected the airplane back towards the centerline. The airplane crossed the centerline and continued to the right. He tried to correct the airplane back to the left, and it entered an out-of-control side skid on the runway. At 15 mph, the right main landing gear collapsed, followed by the left main and nose gear. Winds at the time of the accident were from 090 degrees at 4 knots. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he made a normal approach to runway 26 and touched down at 95 miles per hour (mph). After decelerating to 70 mph, the airplane unexpectedly began drifting to the left. The pilot corrected the airplane to the right towards the centerline. The airplane crossed the centerline and continued to the right. He stated that the airplane's movement was not in proportion to his control inputs. He tried to correct the airplane back to the left, and it entered an out-of-control side skid on the runway. At 15 mph, the right main landing gear collapsed, followed by the left main and nose gear. The airplane stopped on a heading of 104 degrees, left of the runway centerline.
At 1353, the Blyth ASOS (Automated Surface Observation System) recorded winds from 090 at 4 knots.
The pilot reported that the airplane had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N103JH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7570087
- Airframe hours
- 8,697
- Engines
- Continental TSIO-360-EB, 200 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental LTSIO-360-EB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Utah State University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2008
- Departed
- BLH · Blythe, CA
- Destination
- BLH · Blythe, CA
- Airport
- BLH · Blythe, runway 26, 6,543 × 150 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
- 26
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 686 total · 28 in this make and model · 95 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- BLH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.