This February 2009 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Aircraft: Piper Cherokee. Injuries: None. Location: Terrell, Texas. Aircraft damage: Substantial.
What reportedly happened: The pilot, who had a commercial certificate and eight hours in a Cherokee, had logged one hour in the 90 days before the accident but had not completed a flight review within the previous 24 months. On the day of the accident he was flying with two passengers. The airplane was on final approach to a 2,630-foot asphalt runway. There was a direct crosswind at 15 knots, with gusts to 21 knots. According to the pilot, the airplane stalled and crashed short of the threshold and bounced onto the runway, causing substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and landing gear.
Probable cause: The failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent flight experience.
For more information: NTSB.gov
