Piper PA-28-181 accident near Willard, Missouri, August 1, 2005
On August 1, 2005 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N6846J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Willard, Missouri (Bird Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 2005 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Willard, Missouri · Bird Field Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N6846J · no longer on the register · serial 28-7690407
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage when in veered off the end of the runway, impacted a utility pole, and nosed over during landing on a 1,800 feet by 75 feet grass runway. The pilot reported that on final approach the airplane was configured with two notches of flaps with 80 mph airspeed. The airplane touched down in the first one-third of the runway and the pilot applied brakes. The pilot reported the airplane was approaching the end of the runway so he applied a burst of power to initiate a go-around. He reported that he saw power lines off the end of the runway, and since he was not airborne yet, he 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 pilot reported the temperature was 96 degrees Fahrenheit, and that the high-density altitude affected the landing ground roll adversely. The pilot reported that the approach speed noted in the Pilot Operating Handbook was 76 mph.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,582 hours in all; 543 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SGF Springfield MO at 11:25 pm
- Destination: 2MO1 Willard MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.