Piper PA-60-602P accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, August 9, 2001
On August 9, 2001 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-60-602P, registered N44JH, was destroyed in an accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming (Rock Springs-Sweetwater County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the right main tire blowing out in flight, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 2001 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Springs, Wyoming · Rock Springs-Sweetwater County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60-602P · all PA-60-602Ps on the register
- Registration
- N44JH · registry record · serial 62P-09028165031
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane had just taken off and was climbing through 9,000 feet when the pilot heard "a very loud explosive sound" that came from the right side of the aircraft. He returned to the airport and landed. When the airplane touched down, it began veered to the right and the pilot attempted to correct. The airplane departed the right side of the runway and the right main landing gear collapsed, driving it through the top of the wing. Half of the right main tire (30 hours total time in service) and most of its inner tube (with a round section blown out) were found at the point of touch down. Missing was the valve stem. Continuous S-shaped marks indicated the tire came off the rim.
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
- Flight time: 2,578 hours in all; 520 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 2,355 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 13, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,998 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 27, 2001; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,315 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-U1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Roeder-Johnson Corp.
The flight
- Departed from: RKS Rock Springs WY
- Destination: MYV Marysville CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 09, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from RKS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.