Piper PA N7879H

Summary

On 7 October 2015 at about 02:20 local time, a Piper PA registered N7879H, operated by James and Deborah Lorence, was involved in an accident near Glennallen, Alaska, 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

7 October 2015 at 02:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Glennallen, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.2414, -146.0122

Aircraft

Piper PA

Registration

N7879H

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

James and Deborah Lorence

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Copper Center → Glennallen

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA008

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during the approach to land, resulting in a collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, during a landing at an airstrip, he did not realize that he was not centered on the airstrip. The pilot reported that the left wing tip struck a tree during the approach to land. He reported that he tried to control the airplane after the initial impact, however the left wing impacted a second tree, and the airplane collided with the terrain coming to rest in the brush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or anomalies prior to or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.