Summary
On March 12, 2009, a Piper PA-28 (N82891) was involved in an incident near Darlington, SC. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident were the dark night and the pilot's lack of experience.
The recently certificated private pilot of the Piper PA-28-161 was returning to the airport, after a local flight under dark night visual meteorological conditions. To avoid hitting trees, the pilot flew a higher then normal final approach to runway 34. Runway 34 was 3,200 feet long, 100 feet wide, consisted of a turf surface, and had lighting. The pilot landed beyond the normal touchdown zone area, and then firmly applied the brakes. The left tire "locked up" and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, where it impacted a tree-lined ditch. The airplane received substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA196. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N82891.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident were the dark night and the pilot's lack of experience.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The recently certificated private pilot of the Piper PA-28-161 was returning to the airport, after a local flight under dark night visual meteorological conditions. To avoid hitting trees, the pilot flew a higher then normal final approach to runway 34. Runway 34 was 3,200 feet long, 100 feet wide, consisted of a turf surface, and had lighting. The pilot landed beyond the normal touchdown zone area, and then firmly applied the brakes. The left tire "locked up" and the airplane departed the left side of the runway, where it impacted a tree-lined ditch. The airplane received substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilot report any. The reported wind at a nearby airport, about the time of the accident, was from 250 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot reported 83.6 hours of total flight experience; of which, 15.1 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane and 4.4 hours were at night.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA09CA196