N5735H – PIPER PA 16 – 2015-06-10 NTSB Accident Report

On June 10, 2015, a Piper PA 16 (N5735H) was involved in an incident near Tollville, AR. All 1 person 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 flare, which resulted in the airplane impacting a rice field and nosing over.

The pilot reported that while on short final to the unlit airstrip; during the flare, he lost sight of the runway and the airplane veered to the right, impacted a rice field, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and lift strut.

The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation

The pilot stated that the accident may have been mitigated if he would have landed on a lit runway and conducted a wheel landing instead of a three point landing, which would have allowed him to maintain a visual of the runway until his main wheels where on the ground.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA15CA114. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5735H.