- Date
- October 28, 1994, 10:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pillow, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N81478Piper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941028036939A
- Case key
- 38893
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 did not attain the proper touchdown point on a grass runway covered with frost, which resulted in inadequate braking, and runway overrun.
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 touchdown on the grass runway, the pilot applied the brakes, and the airplane skidded off the end of the runway, down a steep bank into a wooded area. The airplane struck trees and the wings separated. According to the pilot's statement, 'runway was frost covered grass. Brakes operated correctly, no mechanical malfunction.'
Factual narrative
On October 28, 1994, at 1015 eastern daylight time, a Piper, PA-32-300, N81478, owned and piloted by Clayton Heckler, was substantially damaged during a landing at a private grass strip near Pillow, Pennsylvania. The pilot, and the 1 passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.
According to the pilot's written statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2:
Upon touch down on runway, applied brakes, skidded off end of runway, down a steep bank into woods. Wings were removed by trees. Plane fell on right side. Runway was frost covered grass. Brakes operated correctly, no mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N81478
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 327940278
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John & Clayton Heckler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1994 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- N70 · Penn Ridge, PA
- Airport
- NONE · Flying Eagle, runway 27, 1,800 × 75 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 838 total · 760 in this make and model · 755 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CXY, 10 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.