- Date
- August 9, 2008, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Dresden, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9365WPiper PA-28-235
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080809845189A
- Case key
- 68696
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 the proper altitude/clearance while on final approach.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the Piper PA-28-235, was on final approach to land on a 1,640-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, turf runway, at a private airport. The pilot stated that he encountered a downdraft, which caused the airplane to settle into a cornfield, 30 feet prior to the runway threshold. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and both wings. The pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 260 degrees, at 1 knot, with no gusts. He further reported 370 hours of total flight experience, which included 32 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Piper PA-28-235, was on final approach to land on a 1,640-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, turf runway, at a private airport. The pilot stated that he encountered a downdraft, which caused the airplane to settle into a cornfield, 30 feet prior to the runway threshold. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall, fuselage, and both wings. The pilot reported that the wind at the time of the accident was from 260 degrees, at 1 knot, with no gusts. He further reported 370 hours of total flight experience, which included 32 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9365W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PA28-11055
- Airframe hours
- 3,840
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tony Collins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2008 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- M93 · McKinnon, TN
- Destination
- NONE · Dresden, TN
- Airport
- NONE · Latham, runway 8, 1,640 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 370 total · 32 in this make and model · 314 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- MKL, 58 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 N9365W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.