- Date
- August 5, 2022, 08:55 local (15:55 UTC)
- Place
- White Salmon, WA · 75WA Port Elsner Airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7485RPiper PA-28-160
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220805014179A
- Case key
- 105698
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 attain a proper touchdown point, and his delayed decision to go around which, resulted in a collision with trees.
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 touched down “a little far” on the wet grass airstrip. Braking action did not work well so he made the decision to go around, however it was too late, and the airplane collided with trees at the end of the airstrip. The wings and horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7485R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-181
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 3,492
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 2022
- Departed
- W52 · Battle Ground, WA
- Destination
- WA66 · White Salmon, WA
- Airport
- 75WA · Port Elsner, runway 17/35, 1,600 × 40 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 233 total · 232 in this make and model · 167 as pilot in command · 43.7 in the last 90 days · 21.5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- K4S2, 8 nm away
- METAR
- K4S2 051555Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 16/08 A3003 RMK AO2
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 20, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.3 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.