Accident Details
On May 27, 2017, at about 1135 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N5584U, struck trees, terrain, and a farm tractor near Ray Township, Michigan. The private pilot on board sustained serious injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. No flight plan was filed, and day visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, he was landing at Ray Community Airport after a 20-minute local flight. On his first landing attempt, he was high on the approach and performed a go-around. During the second attempt, he reported being long on the approach and applied throttle, after which he lost consciousness.
Witnesses stated that the pilot made several landing attempts, but each time the airplane was too fast or too high to land. On the final attempt, the airplane touched down fast approximately halfway down the 2,495-foot runway. The airplane then skipped, floated, and impacted the runway nose gear first about one-quarter of the distance from the runway end, breaking the nose gear. The airplane bounced and departed the east end of the runway, crossing a gravel road and a field before striking several small trees and a farm tractor, where it came to rest.
Pilot Background
The pilot's flight instructor reported that the pilot was not competent to operate the airplane. The instructor had previously flown with the pilot and noted that his traffic patterns, approaches, and landings were very substandard for the certificate he held. Following their last flight together, the instructor discussed these deficiencies with the pilot and advised him to practice extensively and fly with a competent pilot or instructor.
Aircraft Damage and Examination
The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the engine and propeller, the engine cowling, and the forward fuselage. The nose landing gear was broken aft, and the left main landing gear was bent inboard. Flight control continuity was confirmed. An examination of the engine and other systems revealed no pre-impact anomalies that contributed to the accident.