Piper PA-28-180 N3656R

Summary

On 20 April 1993 at about 16:47 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N3656R, operated by Janis K. Johnson-Fitzgeral, was involved in an accident near Yuma, Arizona, 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

20 April 1993 at 16:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Yuma, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Yuma Interantional (YUM)

Coordinates

32.6793, -114.6591

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N3656R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Janis K. Johnson-Fitzgeral

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tucson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX93LA214

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON LANDING AND HER FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL DURING THE ATTEMPTED GO AROUND. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: 1) THE PILOT'S LOW TOTAL EXPERIENCE, 2) THE FUEL IMBALANCE BETWEEN THE WING FUEL TANKS, AND 3) THE MENTAL PERFORMANCE OVERLOAD CREATED BY THE MULTIPLE RUNWAY ASSIGNMENT CHANGES.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHILE INBOUND TO THE AIRPORT THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS CHANGED HER RUNWAY ASSIGNMENT SEVERAL TIMES AND SHE SAID SHE WAS QUITE TENSE. THE PILOT SAID SHE WAS CONFUSED AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 21L INSTEAD OF 26. JUST AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VEER LEFT. THE PILOT SAID SHE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND; HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT, THE LEFT WING TOUCHED THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT CARTWHEELED OVER ONTO ITS BACK. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE LEFT FUEL TANK WAS FULL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.