Piper PA-24-250 N7994P

Summary

On 7 July 2001 at about 17:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7994P, operated by Love, Stephen W., was involved in an accident near Fragaria, Washington, 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

7 July 2001 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fragaria, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Vaughn (WN13)

Coordinates

47.4597, -122.6508

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7994P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Love, Stephen W.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seattle → Fragaria

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA01LA129

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate directional control. Contributing factors were the embankment and the deer.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot landed the Piper PA-24-250, 200-300 feet beyond the displaced threshold of the 2,200 foot long dry, upsloping, grass runway. After touchdown he observed a deer standing slightly right of the runway centerline and chose not to attempt a go-around maneuver on the unidirectional runway because of the upsloping runway condition and tall trees at the north end. The pilot believed that the deer was too close to allow the aircraft to stop in time and thus maneuvered to the left side of the runway trying to avoid a collision. He applied full brakes and during the landing roll, the aircraft departed the left side of the runway encountering an embankment and ground looping to a stop. The pilot reported that the runway width was 50 feet with an approximate 25 feet of additional surface outboard of each side of the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.