Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
An encounter with a deer, as reported by the pilot. A factor in this accident was the muddy grass off the left side of the runway.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On March 29, 2004, about 1730 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N2613R, was substantially damaged while landing at Seamans Airport (9N3), Factoryville, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Jake Arner Memorial Airport, Lehighton, Pennsylvania. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The airplane was landing on runway 4, a 2,500-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway.
According to his written statement, the pilot observed a deer on the runway, as the airplane touched down. The pilot elected to add left rudder and continue the roll-out on the grass located off the left side of the runway, in-between the runway, and a taxiway. During the roll-out, the airplane's right main landing gear became stuck in mud. The airplane spun around, and the right wing struck the ground.
Winds reported at an airport located about 17 miles south of the accident site, at 1754, were from 160 degrees at 10 knots.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC04LA173