- Date
- May 11, 2002
- Place
- South Prairie, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N321DGrumman American AA-1B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020511011129A
- Case key
- 54678
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's improper touchdown point. Factors include a wet landing surface.
Analysis
The non-certificated pilot reported that after touchdown, he "...locked up the right wheel brake..." in an effort to avoid a fence and vehicles located at the end of the runway. Shortly thereafter, the airplane slid to the right and collided with the fence. A witness to the accident reported that the airplane touched down approximately two-thirds of the way along the 2,650-foot turf runway. After touchdown, during the landing rollout, the airplane collided with the fence that crossed (perpendicular) the departure end of the runway. The pilot stated that at the time of the accident the landing surface was wet.
Factual narrative
On May 11, 2002, about 1100 Pacific daylight time, a Grumman American AA-1B airplane, N321D, sustained substantial damage during the landing rollout at a private airstrip (02WA) near South Prairie, Washington. The airplane is registered to the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The sole occupant of the airplane, a non-certificated pilot, was not injured. There was no fire and no report of ELT activation.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that after touchdown he "...locked up the right wheel brake..." in an effort to avoid a fence and vehicles that were located at the end of the runway. Shortly thereafter, the airplane slid to the right and collided with the fence. The pilot stated that at the time of the accident the landing surface was wet.
A witness to the accident reported that the airplane "...appeared to be landing long..." and touched down approximately two-thirds of the way down the 2,650-foot turf runway. After touchdown, during the landing rollout, the airplane collided with a fence that crossed (perpendicular) the departure end of the runway.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N321D
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1B-0321
- Airframe hours
- 1,743
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Roland K. Wright
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 2002 · 4.4 hours before
- Departed
- WA77 · Enumclaw, WA
- Destination
- 02WA · South Prairie, WA
- Airport
- 02WA · South Prairie Airport, runway 34, 2,650 × 60 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 44 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- KTCM, 15 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 15, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 393 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.