NYC02LA189

Factual narrative

On September 8, 2002, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6947W, was substantially damaged while landing at the Titusville Airport, Titusville, Pennsylvania. The certificated student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the student pilot, she performed five uneventful practice landings to runway 36, a 4,902 foot-long, 75 foot-wide, asphalt runway. During the sixth landing attempt, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and traveled through a ditch, before it came to rest. A witness at the airport stated that the touchdown seemed normal; however after a "short roll, the airplane appeared to go sideways..." Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions; nor did the student pilot report any. The student pilot reported 65 hours of total flight experience, all in make and model. The student pilot performed five uneventful practice landings. During the sixth landing attempt, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and traveled though a ditch, before it came to rest. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions; nor did the pilot report any. The student pilot reported 65 hours of total flight experience, all in make and model. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12