19980315003429A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-200 · Van Nuys, CA · March 15, 1998

Date: March 15, 1998 · 18:45 local
Place: Van Nuys, CA
Airport: Van Nuys Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4442T
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX98LA117
Reported as: Piper PA34200
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360C1E6
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 820 total

N4442TRegistration cancelled Jan 6, 2006 · Piper PA-34-200S/N 34-7250098 Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The pilot reported that he landed hard on the initial touchdown and heard a loud noise, which he attributed to a blown tire. After the aircraft ballooned up, the pilot reduced the power and the aircraft impacted the runway and subsequently slid off the runway. A witness to the accident reported that after touchdown the aircraft began to porpoise down the runway. The porpoise progressively deteriorated until the landing gear collapsed. Flight control contiunity was established on scene and no discrepancies were noted with the landing gear tires. (-23) on Sunday, 03/15/98 at 1840 hours, Mr. Solayman m. siraj, acting as pilot in command of N4442T, Piper PA-34-200, made a hard landing at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, CA, causing the landing gear to fail and substantial damage to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LANDED HARD ON THE INITIAL TOUCHDOWN AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE, WHICH HE ATTRIBUTED TO A BLOWN TIRE. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT BALLOONED UP, THE PILOT REDUCED THE POWER AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AND SUBSEQUENTLY SLID OFF THE RUNWAY. A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO PORPOISE DOWN THE RUNWAY. THE PORPOISE PROGRESSIVELY DETERIORATED UNTIL THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTIUNITY WAS ESTABLISHED ON SCENE AND NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED WITH THE LANDING GEAR TIRES. (-23) ON SUNDAY, 03/15/98 AT 1840 HOURS, MR. SOLAYMAN M. SIRAJ, ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N4442T, PIPER PA-34-200, MADE A HARD LANDING AT VAN NUYS AIRPORT, VAN NUYS, CA, CAUSING THE LANDING GEAR TO FAIL AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX98LA117Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportVan Nuys, CAThe pilot's misjudged landing flare which led to an uncontrolled porpoise and eventual collapse of the landing gear.Mar 16, 1998 · Substantial damage