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GAA17CA519

2017-08-27 · Springfield, Vermont, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport VSF

Current FAA registration · N30897

Make / Model
PIPER J5A
Year of manufacture
1940 · 77 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C75 SERIES (75 hp)
Seats / Engines
3 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19560621
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A340BD

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's unstabilized approach, which resulted in landing long and fast, and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from trees during a go-around.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on grass surface next to a hard-surfaced runway, the airplane approached "too high and landed too fast." He added that he was "not sure" if he could stop the airplane in the remaining distance, so he "decided to go-around, but did not leave myself [himself] enough room to clear the trees" at the end of the landing area. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees and stopped. The right wing, fuselage, and windscreen sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report that there were any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport, about the time of the accident, reported wind from 320° at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was variable, and he landed parallel to runway 29. The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on grass surface next to a hard-surfaced runway, the airplane approached "too high and landed too fast." He added that he was "not sure" if he could stop the airplane in the remaining distance, so he "decided to go-around, but did not leave…enough room to clear the trees" at the end of the landing area. Subsequently, the airplane impacted the trees and stopped. The right wing, fuselage, and windscreen sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 320° at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the wind was variable and that he landed parallel to runway 29. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Incorrect use/operation - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2017_GAA17CA519.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

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