Piper PA-46-350P accident near Spokane, Washington, September 30, 2010
On September 30, 2010 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered N90SE, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Spokane, Washington (Felts Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of a manufacturing splice of the right main landing gear tire’s inner tube, which resulted in a deflated tire and a consequent loss of directional control on landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 2010 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Spokane, Washington · Felts Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N90SE · registry record · serial 4622041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after a normal touchdown the airplane began a skidding turn to the right. The pilot was unable to keep the airplane on the runway and it struck a runway light during the runway excursion, which occurred as a result of a deflated tire on the right main landing gear. On-scene examination revealed that the valve of the tire's inner tube had separated from the tube. The left main landing gear tire was found to be properly inflated, the tread depth on both the left and right main landing gear tires was sufficient, and neither the left nor the right main landing gear tires exhibited any indications of abnormal wear. The pilot indicated that the right tire and tube were replaced about 17 months before the accident and that they had accumulated about 295 hours and 107 cycles in service. The tube was manufactured about 1 year prior to its installation. Examination of the tube and the recovered valve revealed that a small area of a manufacturing splice had opened, which permitted the tube to deflate. The deflated tire then slipped on the wheel during landing, which separated the valve from the tube body. The tube manufacturer did not provide any reasons for the splice failure. Neither the root cause nor the exact timing of the splice failure could be determined.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tube › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,593 hours in all; 1,240 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 4,483 as pilot in command; 1,449 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 15, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,742 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 14, 2009; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,318 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Garco Equipment Co
The flight
- Departed from: RLD Richland WA at 10:10 pm
- Destination: SFF Spokane WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 03L, 4,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from SFF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10LA479.