SEA06LA075

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-34-200T · Bullfrog Basin, UT · April 13, 2006

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 13, 2006, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
Place
Bullfrog Basin, UT
Injuries
4 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N2227WPiper PA-34-200T
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 3, 2006
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA/FSDO
FAA report
20060413004389A
Case key
63524

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.

A high airspeed at touchdown resulting in a high ground speed during the landing roll. Downhill sloping runway, a tailwind, the pilot's delayed remedial action and rough terrain off the end of the runway were factors.

Analysis

The pilot reported that due to traffic on the runway, he circled around until the traffic was clear of the runway. The pilot then set-up for a landing on runway 01, but had to go-around for the first attempt as "...the runway was disappearing too fast..." During the second attempt, the pilot set-up for a short field landing and the aircraft touched down at the beginning of the 3,500 foot long down sloping runway. During the landing roll, the pilot realized that the ground speed was too fast and the aircraft was not going to stop in time. The pilot stated that there was not enough runway left for another go-around, so the aircraft ran off the end of the runway. After the accident, the pilot noted that the wind had shifted and that he landed with a tailwind. An FAA Inspector reported that the aircraft traveled over the rough terrain directly off the end of the runway for about 200 feet before coming to rest. The main landing gear tires were blown, the right main landing gear collapsed and the upper wing surfaces were buckled.

Factual narrative

On April 13, 2006, at 0930 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N2227W, registered to AB Christenson Holding and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, over-ran the end of the runway and collided with rough terrain during landing at Bullfrog Basin Airport, Bullfrog, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed The aircraft was substantially damaged and the private pilot and his three passengers were not injured. The flight departed from Salt Lake City, Utah, about 20 minutes prior to the accident.

The pilot reported that due to traffic on the runway, he circled around until the traffic was clear of the runway. The pilot then set-up for a landing on runway 01, but had to go-around for the first attempt as "...the runway was disappearing too fast..." During the second attempt, the pilot set-up for a short field landing and the aircraft touched down at the beginning of the 3,500 foot long down sloping runway. During the landing roll, the pilot realized that the ground speed was too fast and the aircraft was not going to stop in time. The pilot stated that there was not enough runway left for another go-around, so the aircraft ran off the end of the runway. After the accident, the pilot noted that the wind had shifted and that he landed with a tailwind.

An FAA Inspector from the Salt Lake City Utah, Flight Standards District Office reported that the aircraft traveled over the rough terrain directly off the end of the runway for about 200 feet before coming to rest. The main landing gear tires were blown, the right main landing gear collapsed and the upper wing surfaces were buckled.

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.

OverrunLanding - roll
Airspeed - highPilot in commandCause
Terrain condition - downhillFactor
Weather condition - tailwindFactor
Remedial action - delayedPilot in commandFactor
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterLanding - roll
Terrain condition - rough/unevenFactor

Aircraft

Registration
N2227W
Reported as
Piper PA-34-200T
Category
Airplane
Serial number
34-7970171
Airframe hours
3,843
Engine
Continental TSIO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Alfred B. Christenson
Registered owner
AB Christenson Holdings LLC
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · April 1, 2005 · 64 hours before
Departed
U42 · Salt Lake City, UT
Destination
U07 · Bullfrog Basin, UT
Airport
U07 · Bullfrog Basin Airport, runway 1, 3,500 × 40 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
72
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land
Medical
Class 3
Last flight review
April 1, 2006
Seat
Left
Flight hours
3,300 total · 3,200 in this make and model

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
61 °F, dew point 14 °F
Altimeter
30.22 inHg
Observed at
PGA, 52 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.