- Date
- July 9, 2010, 22:00 local (Jul 10, 2010, 05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sedona, AZ
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N36402Piper PA32RT
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100709038729A
- Case key
- 76579
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 runway alignment during approach and subsequent loss of directional control during landing.
Findings · 2
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 had flown the approach at a shallow angle causing him to lose sight of the runway lighting system during the landing flare. During the flare the airplane drifted to the left resulting in the left main landing gear touching down in the dirt next to the runway. Subsequently the airplane veered to the left, and struck a runway sign. The pilot reported that he was unaware that he had struck the sign and was able to correct back to the center of the runway. The remainder of landing roll and taxi were uneventful. The damage to the underside of the left wing and the sign was not found until the following day. The pilot reported that there were no known mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he had flown the approach at a shallow angle causing him to lose sight of the runway lighting system during the landing flare. During the flare the airplane drifted to the left resulting in the left main landing gear touching down in the dirt next to the runway. Subsequently the airplane veered to the left, and struck a runway sign. The pilot reported that he was unaware that he had struck the sign and was able to correct back to the center of the runway. The remainder of landing roll and taxi were uneventful. The damage to the underside of the left wing and the sign was not found until the following day. The pilot reported that there were no known mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36402
- Reported as
- Piper PA32RT (300T)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7887041
- Airframe hours
- 3,146
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- RAD Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- RAD Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 20, 2009 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- KRHV · San Jose, CA
- Destination
- KSEZ · Sedona, AZ
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KSEZ · Sedona, runway 03, 5,132 × 100 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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 15, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 898 total · 431 in this make and model · 785 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 111 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- KSEZ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 499 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 N36402 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.