History of Flight
On June 18, 2015, at approximately 1220 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-20 airplane, registration N6939K, sustained substantial damage after impacting a tree and the ground during an aborted landing at Johnson Creek Airport (3U2), Yellow Pine, Idaho. The private pilot and a pilot-rated passenger were seriously injured. The flight was operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country trip, originating from Joseph State Airport (JSY), Joseph, Oregon, at an undetermined time. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
According to a witness, the airplane touched down just before midfield, bounced twice, and then the pilot added power for a go-around. During the go-around, the nose pitched up to a high angle while the aircraft was airborne and traveling down the runway. The left wing dropped shortly before the airplane collided with a large tree approximately 30 feet above ground level near the southeast corner of the departure end of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a parked vehicle at the base of the tree.
The pilot reported that while turning onto final approach for runway 17, he realized he was too high and initiated a slip to lose altitude. He noted three airplanes ahead on final and two following in the traffic pattern. After the three ahead cleared the runway and began parking, the pilot crossed the runway threshold. He stated that his forward speed and descent rate were excessive, leading to a hard landing and subsequent bounces. He added full power for a go-around, but the airplane did not achieve a positive rate of climb. Approaching the departure end, the pilot turned left toward a small opening in the trees. During the turn, the left wing began to drop; he corrected by leveling the wings, but the airplane then collided with a tree.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The Piper PA-20 is a four-seat, high-wing, fixed-gear airplane with serial number 20-43. It was powered by a Lycoming O-290 engine rated at 135 horsepower. Using reported weights of the pilot and passenger, fuel onboard, recovered luggage, and an estimated empty weight, the airplane was determined to be about 46 pounds below its published maximum gross weight of 1,800 pounds at the time of the accident.
Meteorological and Airport Information
Johnson Creek Airport (U42) is a non-towered airport with a field elevation of 4,960 feet mean sea level. It has a single turf runway, 17/35, measuring 3,400 feet long and 150 feet wide. The airport is situated in a canyon bottom surrounded by heavily wooded mountainous terrain, with numerous large trees bordering the sides and ends of the runway.
Weather data from the McCall Municipal Airport automated station, 26 miles west, recorded at 1151: wind variable at 3 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 23°C, dew point 7°C, and altimeter setting 30.05 inches of mercury. Using these conditions and the airport elevation, the calculated density altitude was about 6,998 feet msl. However, an FAA inspector reported the temperature at the accident site was about 29°C, yielding a density altitude of approximately 7,697 feet msl.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination conducted on site by the FAA inspector revealed that the left wing had separated, and the fuselage and right wing were substantially damaged. No evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation was found.
Performance charts from the manufacturer's Airplane Flight Manual indicated that under the weather conditions present, at maximum gross weight, and at the chart's maximum altitude of 7,000 feet msl, the airplane would have a normal rate of climb of 360 feet per minute.