Piper PA-28-181 N4920F

Summary

On 13 July 2001 at about 17:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N4920F was involved in an accident near Tekoa, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 July 2001 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Tekoa, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Willard Field (73S)

Coordinates

47.2399, -117.1105

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N4920F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Tekoa

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA01LA130

Nobody was injured.

The non-current pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude or clearance with wheat crops on short final, and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action. Factors included wheat crops and a dirt bank on short final, the runway's lack of a visual approach slope indicator installation, and a visual illusion (wheat crop matched background color) that impaired both pilots' ability to visually detect the wheat crops.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The non-current pilot, who was undergoing a 14 CFR 61.56 flight review with a flight instructor, was practicing a short field landing. According to airport data at the Internet site www.airnav.com, a 4-foot terrain rise is located 80 feet from the end of the runway. The pilots stated that this rise had a heavy growth of wheat about 3 to 4 feet tall at the time. The trainee pilot stated that the wheat at that time "was a solid dark green which gave no depth perception", which he stated "in essence created an invisible...wall" on short final. While on short final, the aircraft contacted the wheat, causing a rapid deceleration and loss of altitude (the flight instructor stated that once he noticed the terrain rise, he was unable to get on the controls before the aircraft contacted the wheat.) The airplane subsequently struck an approximately 2-foot-high bank along a dirt road approximately 40 feet from the end of the runway. As the aircraft crossed over this bank, all three wheels caught on the bank and sheared off. The aircraft then came down on the runway and slid down the runway for about 250 to 300 feet. According to the U.S. Government Airport/Facility Directory, the runway has a yellow centerline marking only, and the markings are very faded. The runway does not have a displaced threshold or visual approach slope indicator (VASI), and the U.S. Government Airport/Facility Directory lists obstructions for the runway as a powerline.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.