Pilot Debrief

Piper PA28 near East Moriches, NY — 2018-10-20

Final reportGAA19CA050
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Date
2018-10-20
Location
East Moriches, NY, USA
Airport
49N
Aircraft
Piper PA28
Registration
N8275V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Approach

Probable cause

The pilot’s delayed initiation of a go-around and his subsequent use of the improper go-around procedure, which resulted in a landing area overshoot.

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, during the preflight inspection, he did not observe anything abnormal. He added that, during the initial taxi, the airplane "pulled more power than usual" but that he observed no issues with the brakes or flight controls. The pilot reported that, during approach to a 2,300-ft-long grass airstrip about 60 knots with full flaps, he reduced power to idle to flare. The airplane was "still floating," and about midfield, he saw that the rpm had increased with the power at idle to between about 1,000 to 1,200 rpm. He retracted the flaps to 15° to execute a go-around, but before he increased power, the airplane touched down on the runway. He was going to continue the go-around but realized the airplane would be unable to clear power lines and trees at the end of the runway. He then braked hard but was unable to stop the airplane on the grass, so he shut off the fuel pump and closed the mixture. He added that the "engine did not stop," and the airplane continued moving forward due to momentum. He applied full brakes with an "s turn and 180 turn," the airplane slid on the grass, and the left wing struck a wooden pole. The airplane then came to an abrupt stop. The pilot stated that he saw that the engine and propeller had stopped The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that he attempted to examine the engine, but the airplane was unavailable for examination. The airplane manufacturer's prescribed "Go Around" checklist stated: Throttle………………………..FULL Carb Heat……………………….OFF Flaps……….RETRACT TO 20 DEG Vy……………………….….79 KIAS Flaps…………..…RETRACT PROC It is likely that the pilot flew the approach at too high of an airspeed and initiated the go-around too late, which resulted in the airplane floating and the subsequent landing area overshoot.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the approach earlier when power issues were noted.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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