Piper PA60 602P N35FD

Summary

On 23 September 2013 at about 15:15 local time, a Piper PA60 602P registered N35FD, operated by Donald M Muirhead, was involved in an accident near Sandpoint, Idaho, United States. 3 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

23 September 2013 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Sandpoint, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Sandpoint Airport (SZT)

Coordinates

48.3401, -116.4506

Aircraft

Piper PA60 602P

Registration

N35FD

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

2

Operator

Donald M Muirhead

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Provo → Sandpoint

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA419

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to fly the approach at the appropriate landing speed and attain the correct touchdown point, which resulted in a runway overrun.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while on a right base leg visual approach, he received the current automated weather report and that he did not think that the 4-knot tailwind was an issue because the runway was 5,500 feet long. The pilot reported that, although the airplane landed long, he thought that he had sufficient runway to stop the airplane with heavy braking. However, as he applied the brakes, he felt the sensation of "no brakes" as the end of the runway quickly approached. The airplane's owner, who occupied a seat in the rear cabin, reported that the pilot seemed to be having a problem aligning the airplane with the runway during the approach, that the airplane was high and fast and the flaps were full down, and that the pilot was trying to force the airplane down onto the runway. The passenger reported that he observed that the approach speed was 132 knots; per the airplane's flight manual, the calculated approach speed for the landing weight of the airplane was about 90 knots. The airplane subsequently ran off the end of the runway and impacted the localizer structure, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. A postaccident examination of the airplane's braking system revealed that the brakes were likely operating properly before the airplane exited the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.