- Date
- July 23, 2009, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Metaline Falls, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2903APiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090723011609A
- Case key
- 74353
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, during the landing roll, to identify the end of the runway and stop the airplane within the space available.
Findings · 3
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 during the landing on the unimproved mountain airstrip, he did not apply the brakes as he intended to “coast” up to the end of the runway, and then depart in the opposite direction, downhill. The pilot did not identify the end of the runway until the last moment when he applied the brakes and full right rudder. However, the airplane exited the runway and impacted a ditch, resulting in the collapse of the left main landing gear. The pilot stated that he had identified the red runway end marker in the air, but could not see it in the tall grass until it was too late. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left main landing gear assembly. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or flight control system.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing on the unimproved mountain airstrip, he did not apply the brakes as he intended to “coast” up to the end of the runway, and then depart in the opposite direction, downhill. The pilot did not identify the end of the runway until the last moment when he applied the brakes and full right rudder. However, the airplane exited the runway, and impacted a ditch resulting in the collapse of the left main landing gear. The pilot stated that he had identified the red runway end marker in the air, but could not see it in the tall grass until it was too late. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left main landing gear assembly. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane or flight control system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2903A
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7990541
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Plus One Flyers
- Registered owner
- Gustave W Schwartz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 29, 2009
- Departed
- S23 · Ione, WA
- Destination
- 09S · Metaline Falls, WA
- Airport
- 09S · Sullivan Lake State, runway 16, 1,765 × 150 ft, dirt
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 11, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,190 total · 400 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KDEW, 60 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 581 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.