BLOCK ISLAND, RI, USA
N46DK
PIPER PA-46-350P
DURING AN APPROACH TO LAND, THE PILOT MADE S-TURNS TO ALLOW FOR PROPER SPACING FROM A PRECEDING AIRPLANE. ON SHORT FINAL, HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND BECAUSE THE RUNWAY WAS STILL NOT CLEAR. HOWEVER, HE REPORTED THERE WAS A LACK OF RESPONSE CONCERNING THE POWER, SO HE DECIDED TO LAND AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED. THE PILOT TRIED TO ALIGN THE AIRPLANE WITH THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, BUT ITS RIGHT WING AND LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE, THE OUTWARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING WAS TORN AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE AND A FUEL LINE WAS RUPTURED. A GROUND FIRE ERUPTED AND BURNED THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE'S STRUCTURE AND RIGHT WING. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS REPORTED.
On Sunday, September 5, 1993, at about 1108 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA46-350P, N46DK, owned, operated, and piloted by Dean Kaman of Bedford, New Hampshire, was destroyed during a landing on runway 10 at the Block Island Airport, Block Island, Rhode Island. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The cross country flight originated from Manchester, New Hampshire, and its final destination was the Block Island Airport. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that on final approach, he maneuvered the airplane making "S" turns to allow proper spacing from the airplane in front of his. The pilot wrote, "On short final I decided to 'go around' because the runway was still not clear. I pushed full throttle and started a (left) turn to the North and raised the nose. Power did not come back so I tried to get back on final and land. I turned back and before I could straighten out on final, the right wing caught the runway." The pilot stated that after the airplane contacted the runway, the airplane "...skidded to the right..." collapsing the right main gear. The airplane continued across the runway right of the centerline and came to rest in the grass off the runway. A passenger sitting in the front right seat of the airplane stated that he remembered the pilot putting down the flaps and the landing gear. All of the passengers stated that prior to the landing, they heard the stall warning come on. The passenger seated behind the pilot wrote, "Dean then told us that it was a 'stall/low speed' warning. He then said that we were 10-13 knots above stall since we were at about 80 knots." The on scene post accident examination of the accident site revealed black rubber deposits which started at the approach end of runway 10, left of the runway centerline, and ended at the airplane's left main gear. The FAA inspector stated there were numerous propeller blade strikes on the runway. The on scene post accident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing was broken away from the airplane where the landing gear attaches to the wing. The outer portion of the wing was about 30 feet behind the airplane's final resting place. The fuel line in the right wing was ruptured and a fire damaged the right side of the fuselage and both portions of the right wing. The left wing was buckled. The flaps were fully retracted.
IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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