ERA12CA082

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, while in the vicinity of an unfamiliar airport, he utilized his global positioning system (GPS) to align the airplane with the runway. During the landing roll, while impacting mailboxes and fences, the pilot realized he had landed on a residential street. The runway was about one and a one-half miles to the west. According to a representative of the flight school, the standard operating procedure required all pilots to utilize the GPS for all approaches. The representative further stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that responded to the accident location, the wings sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, while in the vicinity of an unfamiliar airport, he used his global positioning system (GPS) to align the airplane with the runway. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted mailboxes and fences, and the pilot realized that he had landed on a residential street. The runway was about 1.5 miles to the west. According to a representative of the flight school that operated the airplane, there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that the wings sustained substantial damage. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot - C
• C Personnel issues-Psychological-Perception/orientation/illusio-Geographic disorient (lost)-Pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa-(general)-Contributed to outcome