No fatalities

9 May 2017: PIPER PA23 250 — Fremont, OH

Fremont, OH, United States

On 9 May 2017, a PIPER PA23 250 was involved in an aviation accident near Fremont, OH. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate glidepath during approach, which resulted in an impact with a semi-truck. 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

During an RNAV instrument approach in VMC, a pilot struck a semi-truck crossing the flight path. The airplane landed, the main landing gear collapsed, and it veered off the runway, sustaining substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during an approach in visual meteorological conditions, he referenced the RNAV instrument approach for the runway to assist with vertical guidance, noting that there was no visual approach slope indicator (VASI) for that runway. The pilot stated that he believed he was high enough as he crossed an adjacent highway, but the airplane struck a semi-truck that was traveling across the airplane's flight path.

Sequence of Events

After the collision with the semi-truck, the airplane continued on its short approach and landed. Upon landing, the main landing gear collapsed. Subsequently, the airplane veered to the left and departed the runway.

Damage Assessment

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right engine firewalls and nacelle tanks.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Descent/approach/glide path — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operation