- Date
- January 25, 2014, 17:00 local (Jan 26, 2014, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Willcox, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9683PPiper PA 18-150
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140125000269A
- Case key
- 88745
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 decision to land off airport on unsuitable terrain that resulted in a collision with hidden objects.
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 he and his father had flown to the accident location to camp and hunt. They made three passes over an open area to find a suitable landing spot. The pilot stated that the grass appeared to be knee-to-hip height, but he believed it was safe to land. He set up for landing, and on the landing rollout, about 20-30 knots, the left main landing gear wheel struck an unseen, large embedded boulder that collapsed the left main landing gear. The airplane's wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he and his father had flown to the accident location to camp and hunt. They made three passes over an open area to find a suitable landing spot. The pilot stated that the grass appeared to be knee-to-hip height, but he believed it was safe to land. He set up for landing, and on the landing rollout, about 20-30 knots, the left main landing gear wheel struck an unseen, large embedded boulder that collapsed the left main landing gear. The airplane's wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9683P
- Reported as
- Piper PA 18-150 (A150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7509026
- Airframe hours
- 3,830
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 22, 2013
- Departed
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- Willcox, AZ
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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 7, 2014
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- TUS, 60 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 MB 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 N9683P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.