Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Trego Wakeeney Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wakeeney, Kansas 67672
Wednesday, October 18, 1995 12:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING AN UNPLANNED EN ROUTE STOP AT TREGO WAKEENEY AIRPORT. THE PILOT RECEIVED NO AIRPORT ADVISORIES AND USED THE WINDS ALOFT TO SET UP HIS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 35. THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE WIND SOCK UNTIL TURNING TO BASE LEG. THE WIND SOCK INDICATED THE OPPOSITE WIND DIRECTION, AND THE PILOT CONTINUED THE APPROACH FOR LANDING. AN EYEWITNESS NOTICED THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A 40 DEGREE ANGLE OF BANK TURNING TO FINAL. THE EYEWITNESS ALSO STATED THE PILOT FAILED TO OVERFLY THE AIRPORT TO VERIFY RUNWAY AND WIND CONDITIONS. THE WIND DIRECTION WAS REPORTED OUT OF 150 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS OF 20 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT A NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN AIRSPEED AND LIFT OCCURRED WHILE TURNING FINAL FOR RUNWAY 35. HE SAID HE APPLIED FULL POWER, BUT COULD NOT CONTROL HIS RATE OF DESCENT BEFORE CONTACTING THE GROUND IN AN OPEN FIELD ABOUT 500 FEET SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED ABOUT 300 FEET, CROSSED A ROAD, AND HIT A THREE FOOT HIGH EMBANKMENT (DIRT BANK).
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED ON FINAL APPROACH TO REACH THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT FOR LANDING. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF THE WRONG RUNWAY FOR LANDING.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/18/1995 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1245 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | WAKEENEY |
| Event State | KANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 67672 |
| Event Date Year | 1995 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | TREGO WAKEENEY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 7KS1 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2435 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1250 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HLC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2860 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 23 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 150 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4345 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1574 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 18 1995 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1451 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2000 4:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8866P |
| NTSB Number | CHI96LA012 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-260 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-24-260 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-4323 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3100 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 13 1995 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 61 |
| Airframe Hours | 3186 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BOULDER AVIATORS, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1737 15TH, STE 200 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BOULDER |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80302 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NIXON, THOMAS E. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3023 7TH STREET |
| Operator City | BOULDER |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80302 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | 1V5 |
| Departure City | BOULDER |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1108 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HUT |
| Destination City | HUTHINSON |
| Destination State | KS |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 35 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |