Piper PA32-300 N20787

Summary

On 16 August 2002 at about 16:30 local time, a Piper PA32-300 registered N20787 was involved in an accident near Chatham, Massachusetts, United States. One person was 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

16 August 2002 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Chatham, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Chatham Muni (CQX)

Coordinates

41.6883, -69.9894

Aircraft

Piper PA32-300

Registration

N20787

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hartford → Chatham

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC02LA167

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper in-flight decision to continue the landing after losing visual contact with the runway, which resulted in his failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, and the subsequent overrun. Factors in this accident were the clouds and low ceiling.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot performed a instrument approach to runway 6, a 3,001 foot-long, asphalt runway. He was in and out of clouds, but maintained visual contact with the runway. When the airplane was about 600 feet over the approach end of runway 6, he began a left turn and entered the traffic pattern for runway 24. While on final approach, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway. The pilot said he was "too low and slow to do a missed approach and attempted to land." The airplane touched down "too far down" the runway and the pilot was unable to stop before the airplane departed the end of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and collided with trees. The weather reported at the airport, near the time of the accident included: winds from 200 degrees at 12 knots, with 18 knot gusts; 10 miles visibility; and an overcast ceiling at 500 feet.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.