- Date
- July 31, 1991, 23:12 local (Aug 1, 1991, 03:12 UTC)
- Place
- Monongahela, PA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3722WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910731030899A
- Case key
- 36803
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 failure of the pilot to achieve a proper touchdown on the runway due to diverted attention, pressure, and other psychological condition.
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 pilot was landing at night, at an airport with runway lights and a VASI. The airplane landed 160 feet short of the runway and 20 feet below the edge of the runway. The fuel tanks ruptured and the airplane continued forward, coming to rest on the runway. The airplane was destroyed by impact and post crash fire. The pilot was fatally injured. No problems were found with the engine or airframe. There was no evidence of a emergency landing. The investigation revealed the pilot was heavy in debt and had embezzled clients funds. The situation had reached the point where it would have become public within a few weeks.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3722W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-634
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Paul A. Love
- Registered owner
- Paul A. Love
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 1991
- Departed
- AGC · West Mifflin, PA
- Airport
- GO8 · Rostraver, runway 25, 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,490 total · 556 in this make and model · 1,353 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.