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ERA21LA079

2020-12-11 · Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ACK

Current FAA registration · N8436T

Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-161
Year of manufacture
1981 · 39 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19810811
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AB8E3A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstacles during the attempted go around following an approach to landing in sun glare.

Factual narrative

At the conclusion of a visual flight rules flight, the pilot completed a practice instrument approach to the runway. When he decoupled the autopilot at the conclusion of the approach, he looked up and was momentarily blinded by the setting sun. When he regained sight, the airplane had drifted to the right of the runway centerline. The tower controller then advised him to execute a go-around, and the pilot added full power and held the nose level to gain airspeed before climbing. The airplane subsequently struck a construction barricade on a closed taxiway. The pilot continued around the airport traffic pattern and made a normal landing. As a result of the impact with the barrier, the airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Glare-Effect on personnel
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ERA21LA079.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (go-around, autopilot). All research papers