N8124H

On April 5, 1998, at 1530 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161 airplane, N8142H, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing at the McGehee Restaurant Airport, Marietta, Oklahoma. The airplane was operated by the Texas Flying Club, McKinney, Texas, under lease from a private owner, and was flown by a private individual under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight that departed McKinney, Texas, at 1430, and a flight plan was not filed.

During personal interviews, conducted by the investigator-in-charge, and on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported that the airplane was configured for a soft field landing with full flaps and flown at 55 knots for the approach and touchdown on runway 17. The airplane touched down approximately 30 feet down the runway to the left of the centerline. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left, the left main wheel encountered soft mud, the wing struck a tree approximately 3 feet from the edge of the left side of the runway, and the airplane spun around 200 degrees. The airplane came to rest on a magnetic heading of 330 degrees and 900 feet beyond the runway threshold. The pilot reported the winds were from 150 degrees at 10 knots.

Total flight time for the pilot was 112.8 hours of which 11.7 hours were in the make and model of airplane. The pilot's 1 hour in the previous 90 days was not in the PA-28 aircraft. This was the pilot's first flight to the McGehee Restaurant Airport.