Piper PA23 N63944

Summary

On 9 May 2017 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA23 registered N63944 was involved in an accident near Fremont, Ohio, 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

9 May 2017 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Fremont, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Fremont (14G)

Coordinates

41.3344, -83.1647

Aircraft

Piper PA23

Registration

N63944

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fremont → Fremont

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA282

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate glidepath during approach, which resulted in an impact with a semi-truck.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during approach in visual meteorological conditions, he referenced the RNAV instrument approach for the runway to assist with vertical guidance "as [there] is no VASI [visual approach slope indicator]" for that runway. He added that he thought he was high enough as he crossed the adjacent highway, but the airplane hit a semi-truck that was traveling across the airplane's flightpath. The airplane continued on short approach, landed, and the main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right engine firewalls and nacelle tanks. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.