NTSB LAX92LA077 — 1991-12-27 · CARSON CITY, Nevada, United States

Current FAA registration · N9GF

Make / Model: PIPER PA-46-310P
Year of manufacture: 1988 · 3 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER (300 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19880706
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S AC6B16

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N9GF Piper PA46-310P None

Probable cause & findings

THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO ARREST AN EXCESSIVE SINK RATE RESULTING IN NOT ATTAINING THE PROPER TOUCH DOWN POINT AND LANDING SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS AN EXCESSIVE RUNWAY END LIP DUE TO INADEQUATE RUNWAY END MAINTENANCE.

Factual narrative

THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS LANDING AFTER CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. DURING THE FINAL LANDING APPROACH, THE PILOT FAILED TO ARREST THE EXCESSIVE SINK AND THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 12 INCHES SHORT OF THE PAVED END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PAVED RUNWAY WAS ABOUT 6 INCHES ABOVE THE SURROUNDING UNPAVED AREA. WHEN THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE LIP OF THE RUNWAY, THE STRUT WAS BENT AFT ABOUT 20 DEGREES AND THE RIGHT WING RECEIVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR RECOMMENDS THAT THE RUNWAY LIP DISTANCE TO THE SURROUNDING RUNWAY SAFETY AREA IS 1 AND 1/2 INCHES FOR DRAINAGE, WITH A MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED DISTANCE OF 3 INCHES. THE AIRPORT PERSONNEL FAILED TO MAINTAIN THESE RECOMMENDED DISTANCES. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_LAX92LA077.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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