NTSB Factual Report

On June 21, 2003, at 1330 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-236, N9234Z, registered to and operated by a private pilot, veered off the left side of runway 7 and collided with the ground during an attempted landing at Billy Martin Field in Hatteras, North Carolina. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight departed Tarboro, North Carolina, at 1230, on June 21, 2003.

According to the pilot, upon arriving at Billy Martin Field, he established a final approach to land on runway 7. The pilot described the approach as fast and high. The airplane touched down beyond the halfway point on the 3000-feet long runway. The pilot said after the airplane bounced at touchdown, it veered 55 feet off the left side of the runway and collided with a sand dune.

The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed left and right wing damage and fuselage damage in the area of the left wing root. The broken nose wheel was also torn from the airframe. The pilot stated that this accident could have been prevented if he had executed a go-around before the airplane touched down on the runway.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. A factor was a go-around not performed.