- Date
- December 29, 2004, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Johnstown, NY
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N300WEPiper PA-32RT-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20041229035019A
- Case key
- 60807
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 inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in airframe ice with subsequent degradation of aircraft performance, and inadequate airspeed during the landing flare.
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
As the pilot was performing the GPS approach to runway 28, ice accumulated on the airplane. He broke out of the clouds at an altitude of 1,600 feet; however, he had difficulty visually identifying the runway, due to the snow cover on the ground. The pilot stated he was at an airspeed of 100 knots (about 65% power) while on short final, and as he reached the runway threshold, he "cut the power," and applied the third notch of flaps. The airplane then "stalled," and landed hard on the runway.
Factual narrative
On December 29, 2004, at 1400 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N300WE, was substantially damaged during landing at the Fulton County Airport (NYO), Johnstown, New York. The certificated private pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated at the Chester County Airport (40N), Coatesville, Pennsylvania. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, while performing the GPS approach to runway 28, ice accumulated on the airplane. He broke out of the clouds at an altitude of 1,600 feet; however, he had difficulty visually identifying the runway, due to the snow cover on the ground.
The pilot stated he was at an airspeed of 100 knots (about 65% power) while on short final, and as he reached the runway threshold, he "cut the power," and applied the third notch of flaps. The airplane then "stalled," and landed hard on the runway.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the wings and empennage section of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N300WE
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7985007
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William Reiter
- Registered owner
- K & S Aero LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 40N · Coatesville, PA
- Destination
- NYO · Johnstown, NY
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- NYO · Fulton County, runway 28, 4,000 × 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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- September 6, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 502 total · 29 in this make and model · 405 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- ALB, 27 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.