Details Emerge In PA30 Landing Incident

There are all kinds of reasons to look into when an aircraft is damaged in some kind of unfortunate altercation with Terra Firma... but health problems involving the pilot are rare... though some of the data in this report suggests that one pilot's bad day at the airport may actually have created enough concern and information about his health to ultimately get him where he needed to be... the hospital.

NTSB Identification: WPR11LA044
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, November 10, 2010 in Tucson, AZ
Aircraft: PIPER PA30, registration: N628R
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On November 10, 2010, about 1657 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-30, N628R, collided with a building during taxi after landing at Tucson, Arizona. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airline transport rated pilot with a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing. The cross-country personal flight departed Stellar Airpark, Phoenix, Arizona, at an undetermined time, with a planned destination of Tucson. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot had flown from Tucson to Phoenix earlier in the day to complete a flight check for his CFI renewal. He reported brake trouble, and had a mechanic inspect the brakes. The mechanic discovered no anomalies. The pilot was experiencing headaches during the oral examination, and terminated the check ride.

The pilot returned to Tucson, landed on runway 11L, and planned to exit the runway at taxiway 11. He reported that his brakes did not seem to be slowing the airplane down, and his speed forced him to try and exit at taxiway 13. As he entered the ramp area, he was unable to turn the airplane. It continued ahead, and the right wing collided with the fire department building.

The pilot and his wife contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector investigating the accident 2 days after the accident. They informed him that the pilot was disoriented after the accident. He went to a hospital that night for examination; medical personnel discovered a previously undiagnosed medical condition, and they performed immediate surgery.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov