Piper PA-28-180 N6551J

Summary

On 16 November 1995 at about 19:15 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N6551J was involved in an accident near Heber Springs, Arkansas, 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

16 November 1995 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Heber Springs, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

35.4995, -92.0294

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N6551J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Searcy → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW96LA049

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during transition from landing roll to taxi. A factor relating to the accident was: a soft area in the grass runway.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that during landing roll at a private grass strip, he 'lost control of the aircraft, when he ran into soft terrain.' In the Pilot/Operator Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported that as he was 'taxiing off [the] strip to park', he 'crossed [a] ditch' and the nose gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest inverted, adjacent to the runway. Both wings and the fire wall were structurally damaged. No mechanical defects were found that would have contributed to the nose gear collapse.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.