- Date
- December 21, 2008, 18:26 local (Dec 22, 2008, 01:26 UTC)
- Place
- Idaho Falls, ID
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N379PPiper PA-46-350P
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081221853589A
- Case key
- 73134
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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident were the icy runway conditions and a snow bank.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he checked the weather information for the arrival airport during the execution of an instrument approach. He stated that the weather report indicated the winds to be light, and that the runway had been plowed and sanded but was covered with light snow and patchy ice. Just after touchdown the airplane began to drift to the left; the pilot then countered with the gradual application of right rudder. The airplane momentarily straightened out, but as the ground speed decreased, the airplane continued the left drift. The airplane then departed the runway and collided with a snow bank causing substantial damage to the firewall.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the Piper PA-46-350P reported checking the weather information for the arrival airport during the execution of an instrument approach. He stated that the weather report indicated the winds to be light, and that the runway had been plowed and sanded, and was covered with light snow and patchy ice. Just after touchdown the airplane began to drift to the left; the pilot then countered with the gradual application of right rudder. The airplane momentarily straightened out, but as the ground speed decreased the airplane continued the left drift. The airplane then departed the runway and collided with a snow bank causing substantial damage to the firewall.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N379P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-350P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4636379
- Airframe hours
- 548
- Engine
- Textron Lycoming TSIO-540, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 2008 · 548 hours before
- Departed
- GLD · Goodland, KS
- Destination
- IDA · Idaho Falls, ID
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- IDA · Idaho Falls Regional Airport, runway 02, 9,002 × 150 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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 22 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 350° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.