Piper PA-34-200T accident near Chinle, Arizona, January 29, 1998
On January 29, 1998 at about 11:55 am local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N47744, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chinle, Arizona (Chinle airport). It was a positioning 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 airport personnel's failure to provide an adequate perimeter barrier to prevent animals from entering the runway area. A factor in the accident was the dark night lighting conditions which hindered the pilot's ability to detect animals on the runway during the overflight and prior to touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 1998 · about 11:55 am local time
- Place
- Chinle, Arizona · Chinle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N47744 · no longer on the register · serial 34-7870026
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The night was dark with no moon. The pilot reported that because animals often entered into the airport boundary fence through a gate meant for people, he first overflew the airport at 500' agl to verify that the runway was clear. He reported that both the runway lights and aircraft landing lights were on. On the landing roll, the pilot made a correction to the left to avoid hitting a horse that was in front and to the right of him. As he straightened the airplane, a second horse appeared approximately 50 feet straight ahead of him. He reported that he 'didn't have time to react and we hit the horse with the left wing just left of the engine at about 70 knots.' After the impact, the airplane deflected left and headed towards the fence surrounding the airport. The pilot stated that he pressed right rudder and brake in order to avoid going through the fence and the plane entered into a left skid. The left main landing gear collapsed and the left propeller impacted the ground several times before the airplane came to a stop.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,740 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 3,598 as pilot in command; 860 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,648 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 12, 1997; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TS10360E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLG Flagstaff AZ at 11:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.