Piper PA-38-112 N2438L
11 March 1998 · Dubois, Idaho, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 11 March 1998 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-38-112 registered N2438L, operated by Perham, John, J., was involved in an accident near Dubois, Idaho, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 20:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Dubois, Idaho, United States
- Nearest airport
- Dubois Municipal (U41)
- Coordinates
- 44.2200, -112.3709
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112
- Registration
- N2438L
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Perham, John, J.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rexburg → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA98LA043
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The student pilot's misjudgment of altitude/clearance and overloading of the nose gear. A contributing factor was the snow-covered turf runway.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The student pilot had reviewed the intended route of flight, including the Dubois airport, previous to departing Rexburg on his cross country solo. After landing first at Pocatello, and then Arco, he proceeded to Dubois where he found the airport and its single runway (16/34) snow covered. The Airport/Facility Directory effective at the time of the accident advised the reader that 'no winter maintenance' was available and the informational diagram of the Dubois airport (which was Xeroxed on the back side of the student's flight planner log for the accident trip) advised that the 'airport is closed from November to April because of snow.' The student 'decided to do a fly-by (as a missed landing) about 20'-15' above the runway' and reported that when he 'got to the transition point (he) applied full power and pulled the yoke back. Almost instantly, as the plane rotated, (he) felt drag as a wheel caught in the snow.' As the aircraft decelerated, rolling through the snow, the nose gear collapsed.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-38 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Dec 1998 | Piper PA-38-112 | Marsh Harbor, Bahamas | David Reich | No injuries | - |
| 8 Feb 1998 | Piper PA-38-112 | Deland, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jan 1998 | Piper PA-38-112 | Laurens, South Carolina, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 1998 | Piper PA-38-112 | Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jan 1998 | Piper PA-38-112 | Tremonton, Utah, United States | U.s. Aviation | Fatal | 1 |
| 22 Mar 1998 | Piper PA-38-112 | Tampa, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 1998 | Freije LANCAIR IV | Garwood, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 3 Mar 1998 | Cessna T303 | Midvale, Idaho, United States | Jeffrey J. Johnson | Fatal | 6 |
| 21 May 1998 | Cessna P206C | Dubois, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 30 May 1998 | Papa 51 THUNDER MUSTANG | Marsing, Idaho, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 2 Jun 1998 | McDonnell Douglas 369FF | Shoshone, Idaho, United States | Winco | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Jan 1998 | Cessna 180 | Sun Valley, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |