- Date
- March 26, 2005, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hamburg, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2368EPiper PA-38-112
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA\FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050326009519A
- Case key
- 61211
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 failure to maintain directional control while landing.
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
Upon landing on the 2,465-foot-long, 30-foot-wide, asphalt runway, the airplane made an abrupt left turn after the left landing gear departed from the runway surface and dug into soft terrain. The pilot attempted to correct the turn by applying right rudder; however, the rudder had no effect. The airplane continued off the runway surface, proceeded across a grass area, and came to rest in a ditch. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies with the flight or engine controls. The accident flight was the pilots first flight in the make and model airplane.
Factual narrative
On March 26, 2005, at 1430 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2368E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Hamburg Airport (4G2), Hamburg, New York. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Sandusky, Michigan. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he departed from Sandusky, Michigan at 1200. During the flight to 4G2, the airplane made a "very loud unknown noise." The attitude gauge then became inoperative and was spinning around in circles. Soon after, the airplane began to intermittently yaw in a drifting manner. The pilot continued, and executed a landing to runway 01, a 2,465-foot-long, 30-foot-wide, asphalt runway, at the Hamburg Airport. During the landing, the airplane made an abrupt left turn after the nose wheel touched down on the runway. The pilot attempted to correct the turn by applying right rudder; however, the rudder had no effect. The airplane continued off the runway surface, proceeded across a grass area, and came to rest in a ditch.
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage after the accident. He observed substantial damage to both wings. The inspector did not observe any anomalies with the flight or engine controls.
The FAA inspector also noted deep tire marks in the immediate soft grass area to the left of the runway.
The accident flight was the pilots first flight in the make and model airplane.
The winds recorded at an airport 16 miles to the northeast of Hamburg, about the time of the accident, were from 340 degrees, at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2368E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-38-112
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-78A0450
- Airframe hours
- 1,676
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William G Moore
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2004 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- Y83 · Sandusky, MI
- Destination
- 4G2 · Hamburg, NY
- Airport
- 4G2 · Hamburg Airport, runway 01, 2,465 × 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
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 119 total · 3 in this make and model · 59 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- BUF, 16 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.