- Date
- July 29, 1989, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ackerman, MS
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N711DLPiper PA-34
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890729026769A
- Case key
- 32472
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 selection of the wrong runway and his improper inflight planning/decision which resulted in a situation from which he could neither go-around nor stop on the remaining runway. The thunderstorms, inoperative (disrepaired) wind sock, and rough terrain (potholes) were contributing factors.
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 plt encountered a line of thunderstorms before reaching his destn. He diverted to Ackerman, MS, & circled the arpt to determine the wind. The wind sock indcd to him that the wind was calm. Just before lndg on rwy 5, he noticed a 'downwind current', but the acft was configured with the landing gear & full flaps extended & it was in a nose high attitude. The plt rprtd that by this time, the acft was behind the power curve, thus making a go-around impossible. It touched down beyond midfield & max braking was applied, but the plt was unable to stop on the remaining rwy. The acft contd off the dep end, hit potholes on the overrun area & was damaged. After the landing, an exam of the wind sock revealed it was in a state of disrepair with most of the fabric missing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N711DL
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7350241
- Airframe hours
- 3,106
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Van Ovost, J.M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · July 10, 1989 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- JAN · Jackson, MS
- Destination
- LMS · Louisville, MS
- Airport
- 9M4 · Ackerman, runway 5, 3,000 × 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
- 54
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 7,261 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 325 in the last 90 days · 79 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- MEI, 60 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.