# NTSB SEA90FA165: Piper PA-30-160, N8556Y, Kalispell, MT, August 20, 1990

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: August 19, 1990, 21:24 local (Aug 20, 1990, 03:24 UTC)
- Place: Kalispell, MT
- Coordinates: 48.190853, -114.379646 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.1909&lon=-114.3796&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 4 fatal
- Status: Completed, report October 20, 1992
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 41123
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA90FA165
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/41123/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA90FA165

## Probable cause

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FLARE THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING AND TO MAINTAIN ITS CONTROL DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO-AROUND (ABORTED LANDING).  FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, A NUMBER OF RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS THAT WERE EITHER INOPERATIVE OR HIDDEN BY VEGEGATION, RAIN, REDUCED VISUAL CUES, THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT NIGHT FLYING EXPERIENCE, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown
  - light condition - dark night (contributing factor)
  - airport facilities,runway edge lights - failure,partial (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - rain (contributing factor)
  - proper alignment - not attained, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - flare - not attained, pilot in command (cause)
  - visual/aural perception, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - lack of recent experience in type operation, pilot in command (contributing factor)
- Loss of control - in flight, landing - aborted
  - aborted landing - attempted, pilot in command
  - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, landing - aborted

## Analysis

THE PLT MADE A VFR APCH TO LND AT NGT ON RWY 31. ACCORDING TO WITNESS(ES), THERE WAS A TSTM SOUTH OF THE ARPT, BUT AT THE ARPT, THE WND WAS LGT & ONLY LGT RAIN WAS FALLING. AS THE PLT WAS LNDG, THE ACFT IMPACTED ON THE APCH END OF THE RWY, THEN BECAME AIRBORNE & IMPACTED AGAIN, FURTHER DOWN THE RWY. AN EXAM REVEALED THAT INITIAL IMPACT WAS 29' FM THE THRESHOLD. THE INITIAL SCRAPE MARK WAS ANGLED 10 DEG RIGHT OF THE RWY HDG. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE LEFT WING TIP CONTACTED THE RWY NR THE APCH END, THEN THE TIPS OF THE LEFT PROP BLADES STRUCK THE RWY. THE ACFT THEN BECAME AIRBORNE & CRASHED INVERTED AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 613' DOWN THE RWY. THE BLADE TIPS OF BOTH PROPS WERE TWISTED & CURLED; THERE WERE SLASH MARKS ON THE RWY FROM BOTH PROPS AT THE 2ND IMPACT POINT, WHERE THE ACFT HAD IMPACTED IN AN INVERTED ATTITUDE. OF 62 RWY EDGE LGTS, 20 WERE INOP OR BROKEN & 2 WERE NOT VISIBLE DUE TO TALL VEGETATION. THE LAST RECORDED NGT TIME IN THE PLT'S LOG WAS DATED 5/5/81.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N8556Y](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8556Y-1991-08-09), registration cancelled 1991-08-09, S/N 301703 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30-160
- Registry model: [Piper PA-30](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (registry code 7103002) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 30-1703
- Airframe hours: 1625
- Engines: LYCOMING IO-320-C1A 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Flathead Beverage Co.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, June 6, 1990, 25 hours before
- Departed: PWT, BREMERTON, WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: S27, Kalispell City, runway 31, 3,600 × 60 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 44; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,344 total, 180 in this make and model, 1,280 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature: 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: FCA, 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19900819033909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900819033909A), Aug 19, 1990: Piper PA30, Kalispell, MT, Destroyed, 4 fatal. Bounced hard on fast night landing. Second impact flipped over crushing cabin. Had no recent night flying time.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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