- Date
- July 14, 2001, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Schuyler, NY
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N38390Piper PA28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 4, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20010714022209A
- Case key
- 52707
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 delayed go-around, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees. A factor in this accident was the crosswind conditions.
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 was on approach to runway 10, an asphalt runway, that was about 2,400 feet long, and 30 feet wide. The pilot reported he experienced a "wind gust" while on final approach, which pushed the airplane to the left. The pilot maneuvered the airplane back toward the runway, and then attempted a go-around. A witness stated the airplane was approximately one-third of the way down the runway, when it was pushed "over the grass area." After the pilot maneuvered the airplane back over the runway, he heard the engine power increase and observed the airplane bank to the right. During the go-around, the airplane impacted trees that were located about 300 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. It was noted that the terrain sloped upward toward the trees located at the end of the runway. The pilot reported he was unfamiliar with the airport, and did not realized the ground sloped upward until he was closer to the trees. Winds reported at an airport about 16 miles west of the accident site were from 290 degrees at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
On July 14, 2001, about 1100 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA28-140, N38390, was substantially damaged when it struck trees during a go-around at a private airport in Schuyler, New York. The certificated private pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane was on approach to runway 10, an asphalt runway, that was about 2,400 feet long, and 30 feet wide.
The pilot was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector on the date of the accident. The pilot reported he experienced a "wind gust" while on final approach, which pushed the airplane to the left. The pilot maneuvered the airplane back toward the runway, and then attempted a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane impacted trees that were located about 300 feet beyond the departure end of the runway. The pilot added that he experienced "no mechanical problems."
A witness stated the airplane was approximately one-third of the way down the runway, when it appeared a "side draft hit the plane and pushed it over the grass area." The pilot maneuvered the airplane back over the runway. The witness then heard the engine power increase and observed the airplane bank to the right. He further stated that the airplane seemed to "float level" into the trees.
Examination of the airplane by a FAA inspector did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions. The inspector noted that the terrain sloped upward toward the trees located at the end of the runway. The pilot reported he was unfamiliar with the airport, and did not realized the ground sloped upward until he was closer to the trees.
Winds reported at an airport about 16 miles west of the accident site, at 1056, were from 290 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38390
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7725279
- Airframe hours
- 5,820
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Keith M. Killen
- Registered owner
- Blue Skies Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 2000 · 116 hours before
- Departed
- ELZ · Wellsville, NY
- Destination
- NONE · Schuyler, NY
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 10, 2,400 × 30 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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- March 7, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 305 total · 210 in this make and model · 215 as pilot in command · 26 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- UCA, 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.