- Date
- October 24, 1993, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Falls Of Rough, KY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N6891MPiper PA-602P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931024052399A
- Case key
- 38713
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 visual lookout prior to entering the runway, resulting in a taxi off the runway to avoid conflict, onto soft terrain, and the subsequent collapse of the landing gear.
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 taxiing for takeoff, on the uncontrolled airport. He stated that he made a radio call and looked both ways prior to entering the runway, but shortly after commencing the taxi on the runway, he observed a twin engine airplane on short final approach. He made a radio call to the airplane, but he became concerned that the airplane did not see him; therefore, he taxied off the paved surface onto soft terrain. When he attempetd to taxi back onto the runway, the airplane right main landing gear collapsed, damaging the wing spar.
Factual narrative
On Sunday, October 24, 1993, at 1030 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-602P, N6891M, registered to and piloted by Steven E. Lynn, sustained substantial damage while taxiing for takeoff at the Rough River State Park Airport, Falls of Rough, Kentucky. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was operating under 14 CFR 91.
The pilot was back taxiing on runway 20, in preparation for takeoff on runway 02. There was no control tower at this airport, so he made radio calls on the airport frequency stating his intentions. He stated that after he taxied onto the runway, he observed an airplane on final approach for that runway. He made a radio call requesting the airplane to go-around. The airplane did not respond to this call, so the pilot of N6891M taxied off the runway surface onto the grass. The terrain was soft, and as he attempted to taxi back onto the paved runway, the right landing gear collapsed, penetrating the wing and damaging the main wing spar.
Mr. Nick F. Weber, Aviation Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration, conducted an examination of the airplane and interviewed the pilot and a witness. In his report, Mr. Weber stated:
According to the pilot, the aircraft had taken runway 20 to back taxi for takeoff when he noted another aircraft approaching on short final for landing. N6891M departed the runway onto the adjacent soft turf...When the pilot attempted to taxi back onto the runway, the right main gear collapsed, damaging the right wing spar...
Mr. Weber's report continued:
A witness...stated that he saw N6891M take the runway for takeoff. He also saw a light twin- engine aircraft on short final. N6891M immediately departed the runway onto soft sod...
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6891M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-602P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 62P0879816
- Airframe hours
- 820
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AA1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Steven E. Lynn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 11, 1993 · 80 hours before
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 2I3 · Rough River State Park, runway 20, 3,200 × 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 350 in this make and model · 1,750 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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.