NEWBURYPORT, MA, USA
N2496X
PIPER PA-28-161
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING FINAL APPROACH, HE FLARED PRIOR TO REACHING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD IN ORDER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FULL LENGTH OF THE RUNWAY. HE EXPECTED TO TOUCH DOWN ON THE NUMBERS. THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE FLARE, HE FELT A 'BUMP.' THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A SNOWANK WHICH WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE SNOWBANK MEASURED ABOUT THREE FEET IN HEIGHT. THE PILOT SAID THAT NEITHER HE NOR HIS PILOT RATED PASSENGER SAW THE SNOW BANK.
On January 29, 1994 about 1155 hours eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N2496X collided with a snow bank during landing flare at Plum Island Airport, Newburyport, Massachusetts. After colliding with the three foot high snow bank, the airplane collided with the ground. The pilot and his passenger were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was being operated by Beverly Flight Center of Danvers Massachusetts. The flight originated in Lawrence, Massachusetts about 1140 hours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. According to an FAA safety inspector who was at the scene of the accident when the accident occurred, the airplane was on final approach for landing when it struck a three foot high snow and ice mound. The mound was about 10 feet short of the intended landing runway. The inspector said the airplane then hit the ground between the mound and the runway in a nose down attitude. She said that when the propeller struck the ground the engine had a sudden stoppage. In his written statement, the pilot said that in order to take advantage of the full runway length, he flared prior to reaching the runway threshold. He said he expected to touch down on the runway numbers. He said that he did not notice the snow that had been "piled up" off the end of the runway wince he was concentrating on the runway itself. He reported that immediately prior to touch down, he felt a "bump." He further stated that his pilot rated passenger did not see the snow bank either.
The pilot not maintaining clearance from the snowbank during final approach. A factor in this accident was the proximity of the snowbank to the active runway.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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