Piper PA-23-250 CGBUA

Summary

On 25 September 1997 at about 16:15 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered CGBUA was involved in an incident near Soda Springs, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 September 1997 at 16:15

Classification

Incident

Location

Soda Springs, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Allen H. Tigert (U78)

Coordinates

42.7494, -111.5290

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

CGBUA

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pocatello → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97IA217

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to see-and-avoid the truck. Related factors included: a truck, insufficient runway obstruction information provided in the Airport/Facility Directory by the FAA, and VASI glide path angle setting (by local airport personnel) which provided inadequate clearance over the crossing highway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

While on an aerial photographic survey flight, the pilot noted fuel leaking from around a fuel tank cap and elected to land at the nearest suitable airport (Soda Springs, Idaho.) Approaching the airport, the pilot checked two flight information publications including the U.S. Government Airport/Facility Directory (A/FD) to obtain airport information. He then performed an approach to runway 16. A U.S. highway runs approximately perpendicular to the runway extended centerline, crossing it approximately 50 feet short (north) of the approach end (the A/FD identifies approach obstructions to runway 16 only as 'Road'.) The pilot reported he was on a stabilized approach, on glide path (the runway is equipped with a tri-color visual approach slope indicator [VASI]), when the aircraft collided with a truck on the highway. The collision knocked off the airplane's left main wheel, but the pilot was able to execute a go-around and subsequently landed at Pocatello, Idaho, without further incident. A previous aircraft/vehicle collision occurred at Soda Springs in 1978. Local airport authorities increased the glide path angle setting of the runway 16 tri-color VASI after the accident, so as to give increased clearance over the highway on final approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.