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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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January 27, 2006 · Piper J5 · N35588

Carefree, AZ

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
January 27, 2006
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Carefree, AZ
Aircraft
Piper J5
Tail Number
N35588
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
LAX06CA083

The airplane struck a log during landing rollout in a dry riverbed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was notified that an airplane had been seen in a dry riverbed. FAA inspectors went to the site the next day and found the airplane in the riverbed with a collapsed right landing gear strut. They found tracks in a straight line from the touchdown point to the impact point with no indications of a turn. The pilot said he made a precautionary landing in the dry riverbed to troubleshoot engine problems.

NTSB Probable Cause

the pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for the precautionary landing and failure to avoid obstacles during the landing roll.

Full Narrative

On January 27, 2006, about 1330 mountain standard time, a Piper J5 Cub, N35588, struck a log in a dry riverbed during landing rollout near Carefree, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight departed Wickenburg, Arizona, about 1230, with a planned destination of Carefree, Arizona. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were notified of an airplane in a dry riverbed on January 30, 2006. They arrived on scene the next day and found the airplane with damage to the right landing gear, aileron, and wing tip. They noted tracks in the ground that led from the initial touchdown point to the impact point with the log. They extended about 400 feet in a straight line and gave no indications of a turn. The inspectors contacted the pilot/owner of the aircraft and instructed him to contact the National Transportation Safety Board to report the accident. The pilot submitted an accident report several weeks later. In a written statement to the Safety Board, the pilot said the airplane's engine began to miss in flight. He made a precautionary landing in the riverbed after attempts to correct the problem while airborne were unsuccessful. He adjusted the mixture, checked the magnetos, and the engine smoothed out. While taxiing the pilot made a 180-degree turn when the right gear struck a log, buckling the right landing gear strut and rendering the aircraft inoperable.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time13:30 MST
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper J5
Tail NumberN35588
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-235 · Reciprocating · 135
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 51 · Third Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
Visibility20 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point0 C
Altimeter30.01 inHg
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data