- Date
- July 18, 2001, 19:00 local (Jul 19, 2001, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Oak Harbor, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4231TPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010718020679A
- Case key
- 53395
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 remedial action while on final approach. The encounter with wake turbulence was a factor.
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 accident aircraft was sequenced in the pattern with a Navy P-3 (Lockheed 4-engine) aircraft that was doing touch-and-go landings. While the accident aircraft was on short final, the aircraft rolled violently to the right about 60 to 90 degrees. The pilot attempted to recover from the roll, however, during the maneuver, the right wing struck the runway surface. The aircraft touched down, collapsing the nose gear. The aircraft slid approximately 60 feet before coming to rest on the runway's edge.
Factual narrative
On July 18, 2001, approximately 1900 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N4231T, registered to and operated by Whidbey Island Navy Flying Club as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, landed hard at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, Oak Harbor, Washington. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was substantially damaged and the certified flight instructor and private pilot were not injured. The flight was scheduled for a 1.5 hour flight in the local area with a stop at Bremerton, Washington.
The manager of the flying club reported that the accident aircraft was sequenced in the pattern with a Navy P-3 (Lockheed 4-engine) aircraft that was doing touch-and-go landings. When the accident aircraft was on short final to runway 25, the aircraft "rolled violently to the right (60-90 degrees)." The pilot attempted to recover from the roll, however, during the maneuver, the right wing struck the runway surface. The aircraft touched down, collapsing the nose gear. The aircraft slid approximately 60 feet before coming to rest on the runway's edge.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4231T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7205107
- Airframe hours
- 5,151
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Whidbey Island Navy Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 21, 2001 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- PWT · Bremerton, WA
- Destination
- Oak Harbor, WA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- NUW · Whidbey Island NAS-AULT, runway 25, 8,000 × 200 ft, concrete
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 23, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 114 total · 3 in this make and model · 47 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Check pilot
- Injuries
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- NUW
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 N4231T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.