Piper PA-28-180 N3954R

Summary

On 29 July 1989 at about 21:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N3954R, operated by Whyte, Edna G., was involved in an accident near Watertown, Wisconsin, United States. 4 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

29 July 1989 at 21:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Watertown, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Watertown (RYV)

Coordinates

43.1906, -88.7203

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N3954R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Whyte, Edna G.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sedalia → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI89LA152

Nobody was injured.

IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT AND HIS MISJUDGEMENT OF DISTANCE AND SPEED DURING THE LANDING, WHICH RESULTED IN FAILURE TO ATTAIN A PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), INADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY TO MAKE A GO-AROUND, WET RUNWAY WITH HYDROPLANING CONDITIONS, THE FENCE, THE DITCH, AND THE ROADWAY.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG THE LANDING ROLL, THE ACFT RAN OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE WET RWY & WENT THRU A FENCE & DITCH BEFORE COMING TO A STOP ON A ROADWAY. THE WX CONDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACDNT WERE DESCRIBED AS 'MUCKY,' WITH LOW CEILINGS (200' TO 400'), LOW VISIBILITIES (1 TO 1-1/2 MI), & A STEADY RAIN. A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT ON SHORT FINAL APCH FOR THE RWY, RPRTD THAT IT APPEARED TO BE TOO FAST. HE ESTIMATED THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN APRX 600' FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE 4000' RWY. THE 63 YR OLD VFR PLT & THE 86 YR OLD ACFT OWNER TOLD WITNESSES THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO AROUND. AN INSPN OF THE FUEL TANKS REVEALED ABOUT 5 GAL OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK, WHILE THE RIGHT TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY. THE ACFT OWNER/RIGHT SEAT PASSENGER WAS ALSO A RATED PLT, BUT SHE HAD OPEN HEART SURGERY IN LATE 1988 & NO LONGER HELD A VALID MED CERT. APRX 39 MI ESE AT MILWAUKEE, THE 1650 CDT WX WAS IN PART: PARTIAL OBSCURATION, 3500' BROKEN, VISIBILITY 1.5 MI HAZE & LIGHT RAIN, WIND 070 DEG AT 8 KTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.