Piper PA-22-150 N2373P

Summary

On 20 August 2005 at about 13:40 local time, a Piper PA-22-150 registered N2373P was involved in an accident near Brodhead, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 August 2005 at 13:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Brodhead, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

42.5917, -89.3753

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-150

Registration

N2373P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brooklyn → Brodhead

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05CA241

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's misjudged distance/altitude which resulted in an undershoot. A related factor was the vehicle the airplane contacted.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane contacted a vehicle while on final approach to land. The pilot stated that while on base leg in the traffic pattern, he appeared to be a "bit high" so he reduced the power slightly. The airplane started to "settle quickly" after he turned onto final approach, so he reapplied power and adjusted his flight controls to maintain airspeed. The pilot reported that his focus at this point was the runway and the corn field which was below him. He stated that the portion of the road that he could see and runway both appeared clear. The pilot reported everything appeared "normal" until he approached the edge of the corn field at which time he sensed he was low, so he added power. The pilot continued to report, "The crest of the road at the approach course was obscured by my own aircraft as I saw the terrain rising toward me. Interpreting it as sink despite my power, I did not realize it was actually the elevation rising. ... Seeing the road approach beneath my wheels all I can then recall was my bewilderment when the airplane lurched." The Chevy Blazer was traveling southbound on a road which boarders the east side of the airport. The right main landing gear struck the frame above the left rear passenger window, and the nose gear contacted the left side of the windshield and the driver's door window frame. The airplane traveled about 46 feet after striking the vehicle, coming rest in the grass area approximately 443 feet prior to the approach end of runway 21. Neither the pilot nor the driver of the vehicle saw each other prior to the impact.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.