NYC00LA158

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-32R-301T · Wauseon, OH · June 12, 2000

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
June 12, 2000, 07:20 local (11:20 UTC)
Place
Wauseon, OH
Injuries
3 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N8197WPiper PA-32R-301T
Weather
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 8, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20000612009199A
Case key
49411

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall.

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.

Loss of control - in flightLanding
Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Stall - inadvertentPilot in command
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

While executing a non-precision approach, the pilot flew over the centerline of the runway and made a 180-degree turn to land on the reciprocal runway. During the turn, the pilot overshot the extended centerline. While maneuvering back to the runway centerline, the airplane stalled just above the runway and impacted the ground, before coming rest in a water drainage ditch. After the accident, the pilot stated that his airspeed was 'about 80 knots but less because stalled about then.'

Factual narrative

On June 12, 2000, about 0720 Eastern Daylight Time, a Piper PA-32R-301T, N8197W, was substantially damaged while landing at the Fulton County Airport, Wauseon, Ohio. The certificated private pilot and two passengers were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, he executed the NDB approach to Runway 27, flew over the centerline of the runway and made a 180-degree turn to land on Runway 09. During the turn, the pilot overshot the extended centerline of Runway 09 and attempted to realign the airplane to the runway centerline. While maneuvering back to the runway centerline, the airplane stalled just above the runway and impacted the ground. The airplane touched down on all three landing gear, slid sideways and came to rest in a water drainage ditch. The pilot estimated that the cloud bases at the time of the accident were about 650 feet above the ground and 1 mile of visibility with heavy rain.

After the accident, the pilot stated to an Ohio State Police officer that his airspeed was "about 80 knots but less because stalled about then."

When interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that he did not recall hearing the stall warning horn or what his airspeed was while maneuvering.

At 0700, the reported weather at an airport located 15 miles to the west of the accident site was: winds from 100 degrees at 8 knots; 1 3/4 miles of visibility with light rain and mist; overcast clouds at 300 feet.

Aircraft

Registration
N8197W
Reported as
Piper PA-32R-301T (PA-32R-301)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
32R8029050
Airframe hours
3,343
Engine
Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 301 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Timothy R. Worline
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · February 17, 2000
Departed
CYPQ · Peterborough
Destination
USE
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
USE · Fulton County Airport, runway 9, 3,900 × 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
57
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
679 total · 288 in this make and model · 566 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Instrument (IMC) · Day
Wind
100° at 8 knots
Visibility
1.75 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
300 ft overcast
Temperature
66 °F, dew point 66 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
TOL, 15 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.

Other investigations on N8197W · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.