Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA30 near Tucson, AZ — 2010-11-10

Final reportWPR11LA044
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Date
2010-11-10
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
Airport
TUS
Aircraft
PIPER PA30
Registration
N628R
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Taxi

Probable cause

The pilot's impairment by an undiagnosed medical condition, which resulted in a loss of directional control and subsequent collision with a building during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to fly when he was not feeling well.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he had a headache before the flight, that his thinking had been impaired all day, and that he was having trouble with his left-side motor skills. He flew a cross-country flight in order to accomplish a check ride, but during the oral examination his headache persisted so he canceled the remainder of the oral exam and the scheduled check ride. The pilot flew to his home base, and after landing he could not slow the airplane before reaching his intended taxiway, so he continued to the next taxiway. The airplane did not stop or turn when crossing the second taxiway and continued forward until it struck a light post with the right wing tip tank. Fuel began escaping as the airplane continued forward into a building's plate glass window. The pilot estimated that his speed at the point of contact was 5 mph, and he stated that he did not hit his head. Several hours after the accident, the pilot's wife noticed that he was shuffling his left foot, and he was still feeling the severe headache that he had at the start of the day. He went to a hospital that night for examination where medical personnel discovered a subdural hematoma and performed immediate surgery to remove blood from his brain. It is likely that the pilot was neurologically impaired during the flight and thus unable to manipulate the rudder control and brakes to maneuver during taxi to avoid the collision with the building.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have recognized impairment and not continued flying.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 1 docket document
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents1

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