- Date
- February 1, 2003, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Prosser, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N75392Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030201001069A
- Case key
- 56435
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
Improper flare while landing. Factors include rough uneven terrain.
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 student pilot reported that his descent to the airport and approach to runway 25 was normal with the exception of a minor crosswind correction for winds blowing from the north. The pilot reported that when the airplane touched down it momentarily ballooned and drifted to the left (south). He stated that he held the airplane "steady" and when the airplane touched down a second time, it touched down on the runway edge with the left wheel off the runway. The airplane turned sharply to the south and exited the runway. After exiting the runway the airplane traveled across rough uneven terrain and an adjacent taxiway, eventually coming to rest south of the intended runway. No mechanical difficulties or malfunctions were reported.
Factual narrative
On February 1, 2003, about 1430 Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N75392, sustained substantial damage when the airplane departed the runway edge and encountered rough terrain during landing at the Prosser Municipal Airport, Prosser, Washington. The student pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane is owned by Noland Decoto Flying Service of Yakima, Washington, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) instructional flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had been filed. The round-robin cross-country flight originated from Yakima, with intermediate stops in Walla Walla, Washington, and Prosser.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board on February 4, and subsequent written report dated February 6, the student pilot reported that his descent to the airport and approach to runway 25 was normal with the exception of a minor crosswind correction for winds blowing from the north. The pilot reported that when the airplane touched down it momentarily ballooned and drifted to the left (south). He stated that he held the airplane "steady" and when the airplane touched down a second time, it touched down on the runway edge with the left wheel off the runway. The airplane turned sharply to the south and exited the runway. After exiting the runway the airplane traveled across rough uneven terrain and an adjacent taxiway, eventually coming to rest south of the intended runway.
No mechanical difficulties or malfunctions were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75392
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287625217
- Airframe hours
- 6,868
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Noland Decoto Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 31, 2002 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- ALW · Walla Walla, WA
- Destination
- S40 · Prosser, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- S40 · Prosser, runway 25, 3,440 × 60 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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 50 total · 14 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 28, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 486 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.
Other investigations on N75392 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.