Indian Head, MD, USA
N8730E
Piper PA-28-140
The airplane was on final approach to runway 36, a 3,000-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot stated that he experienced a "sudden unexpected descent." He applied full engine power; however, the right wing struck a tree, and the airplane impacted the ground, about 100 to 150 feet, short of the runway. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Winds reported about the time of the accident, at an airport that was located about 10 miles northwest of the accident site, were from 330 degrees at 9 knots, with 14 knot gusts.
On April 27, 2005, about 1600 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N8730E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Maryland Airport (2W5), Indian Head, Maryland. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the personal flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot stated that the airplane was on final approach to runway 36, a 3,000-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway, when he experienced a "sudden unexpected descent." He applied full engine power; however, the right wing struck a tree, and the airplane impacted the ground. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. The inspector noted that the approach end of the runway contained a 50-foot drop off. The airplane impacted the ground about 100 to 150 feet prior to the runway. The pilot reported 400 hours of total fight experience, which included about 95 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane. Winds reported about the time of the accident, at an airport that was located about 10 miles northwest of 2W5, were from 330 degrees at 9 knots, with 14 knot gusts.
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance while on final approach, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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