No fatalities

20 Feb 2011: PIPER PA-32R-301 — 3D Well Service, Inc. — Holdenville, OK

Holdenville, OK, United States

On 20 Feb 2011, a PIPER PA-32R-301 operated by 3D Well Service, Inc. was involved in an aviation accident near Holdenville, OK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s decision to land with a tailwind and his delay in executing a go around. 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 pilot inadvertently landed on runway 35 with a tailwind, then attempted a go-around but collided with shrubs, shearing both wings. The pilot cited expectation bias and complacency.

Incident Overview

According to an FAA inspector who interviewed the pilot via telephone, the pilot stated that he inadvertently landed on runway 35 with a tailwind. Realizing his mistake and unable to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, he attempted to take off. However, the airplane collided with shrubs at the end of the runway, shearing off both wings.

Pilot's Account

In the pilot's accident report, he explained that he landed on runway 35 because "all the winds have been out of the north this winter...I suppose I saw what I had expected to see." He indicated that his attempted go-around was unsuccessful because the airplane had a nearly full fuel load. The pilot summarized, "I must have thought this [landing] was going to be like all the others and didn't double check everything as I usually do. Complacency has no place in the cockpit and the penalty of seeing your pride and joy damaged is indeed severe. If we all could just imagine an outcome such as mine before every flight, awareness of every detail would be increased."

Aircraft Damage

The collision with shrubs resulted in both wings being sheared off. No further details about the aircraft type, registration, or other damage were provided.

Investigation

No probable cause was stated in the source material. The investigation is based on the pilot's account and the FAA inspector's telephone interview.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcomeCapability exceeded