| Crash location | 37.320000°N, 93.419723°W |
| Nearest city | Willard, MO
37.305047°N, 93.428527°W 1.1 miles away |
| Tail number | N6846J |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 01 Aug 2005 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-28-181 |
| Additional details: | None |
On August 1, 2005, at 1830 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N6846J, sustained substantial damage when in veered off the end of the runway, impacted a utility pole, and nosed over during landing on runway 36 (1,800 feet by 75 feet, grass) at the Bird Field Airport (2MO1), near Willard, Missouri. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight departed the Springfield Regional Airport (SGF), Springfield, Missouri, at 1825 and was landing at 2MO1. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that on final approach the airplane was configured with two notches of flaps with 80 mph airspeed. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down in the first one-third of the runway and he applied brakes. The pilot reported, "The end of the runway was coming at me very fast it appeared so I applied a burst of power to initiate a 'go-around.' I noted power lines off the end of the runway that would be an obstacle to a successful go-around. I was not yet airborne so I rejected the go-around and initiated heavy braking." The airplane went off the end of the runway and veered to the right, impacting a utility pole. The airplane nosed over, and the pilot and passenger exited through a popped out windshield.
The pilot reported the following: "Cause and prevention. Density altitude 96 degree F, affected the landing ground roll adversely. And I should have been a few miles an hour slower on the approach, which would have me touching down on the first one-fourth of the runway, for a controllable ground roll." The pilot reported that the approach speed noted in the Pilot Operating Handbook was 76 mph.
The airplane overran the runway and hit a utility pole due to the pilot's delayed decision making and his failure to execute a go-around. Contributing factors included the exessive airspeed during the final approach, the high density altitude, the transmission wires, and the utility pole.