- Date
- September 19, 1991, 17:14 local (Sep 20, 1991, 03:14 UTC)
- Place
- Pago Pago, Antarctica
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- VHUYXPiper PA-60-602P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27362
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 mechanical failure of the airplane's nose wheel/gear steering system. A contributing factor was the pilot's inability to maintain directional control following the loss of steering effectiveness.
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
During landing rollout the pilot lost directional control of the airplane. The airplane veered off the runway and collided with bushes and a storm drain. The pilot reported that all systems had operated normally earlier in the flight. The reason for the mechanical failure of the nose wheel/gear steering system was not established.
Aircraft
- Registration
- VHUYX
- Reported as
- Piper PA-60-602P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 60-8265003
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AA15, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Apollo Air P/L
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PPG · Pago Pago Intl., runway 5, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificates
- Foreign, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,650 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 3,550 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None