No fatalities

25 May 2008: Piper PA-20 — Marcus M Henderson — Fields, OR

Fields, OR, United States

On 25 May 2008, a Piper PA-20 operated by Marcus M Henderson was involved in an aviation accident near Fields, OR. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the approach. Contributing to the accident was a windshear. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A private pilot on final approach to an unimproved landing site experienced a sinking feeling and drastic loss of airspeed at 50 feet, attempted a go-around but pancaked onto the ground. No mechanical issues were reported.

Accident Details

A private pilot was on final approach to an unimproved landing site when, at approximately 50 feet above ground level, he detected a sinking feeling accompanied by a drastic loss of airspeed. The pilot reported that he immediately applied full throttle in an attempt to initiate a go-around, but the sinking continued and the airplane pancaked onto the ground.

Environmental Conditions

The pilot stated that he did not encounter any turbulence during the flight. However, rain showers were present within approximately 10 miles of the landing site at the time of the accident.

Aircraft Condition

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane prior to or during the accident sequence. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both main landing gear and the fuselage.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome