Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Seattle, Washington
Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board:https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
SpanaFlight LLC: http://registry.faa.gov/N9466K
NTSB Identification: GAA17CA072
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, November 11, 2016 in Payallup, WA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 07/05/2017
Aircraft: PIPER PA 28R, registration: N9466K
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
NTSB investigators used data provided by various entities, including, but not limited to, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the operator and did not travel in support of this investigation to prepare this aircraft accident report.
According to the pilot under examination, he was to accomplish a short-field landing to the runway 17 numbers during his single-engine airplane flight instructor practical examination. He reported that, during the transition from final to the flare, the bottom of the fuselage struck an aircraft traffic monitoring camera system.
The camera system was located about 125 ft north of the runway 17 threshold and was about 8 inches high. After striking the camera, the pilot added power and landed the airplane on the runway 17 numbers. There were no NOTAMs regarding the use of the aircraft traffic monitoring camera system issued at the time of the accident. However, the next day, the airport manager issued a NOTAM regarding the deployment of the camera system. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The airport’s failure to issue a NOTAM regarding the deployment of the traffic monitoring camera system before the accident, which resulted in the airplane striking the camera system during a short-field approach and landing.
ReplyDeleteNow this is weird to blame the cause of the accident on the lack of a NOTAM.
That camera did not jump up and hit the airplane. By report, it was nestled down at 8 inches and 125 feet from the end of the runway. Sounds like a safe no-obstructive place to be.
The main wheels on a PA-28R hold the trailing edge of the wing root at least 26 inches above the ground sitting still. The nose wheel holds the engine cowling at least 28 inches above ground.
If nothing else the nose wheel or the foot step or the tail ring should have struck the camera first. If the pilot was that nose-high, that far from the runway edge they should have hit the runway edge identifier lights too.
The only thing that has ever jumped up over 8 inches and nearly hit us was a buzzard last week while landing at KHWY. Funny, two hours later when we departed another buzzard flew directly into our departure path. We concluded it was probably the same buzzard loitering around looking to make a meal of us one way or the other.