What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Hard landing blew left main tire. Veered off runway into a ditch. Blamed high sink rate on final. (.4)according to the pilot, he had flown several approaches to runway 2 and floated during the flares. On this landing, he did not extend the flaps, and flew the landing approach about five knots slower. Just before touchdown, with a good descent rate, he rotated with no change in the airplane's performance. The airplane landed hard, and the left main tire ruptured. The airplane veered off the runway, then veered further left, eventually colliding with a ditch. The airline transport rated pilot passenger stated to the pilot that it felt as if the airplane sank abruptly, and may have encountered a wind shift. The pilot also stated that this aircraft was a later model than he had previously flown, so he had only one hour total flight time in it. He believes, in retrospect, he should have received flight instruction before attempting to fly the airplane. The wind was from 290 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots. (-23)ATL98LA075
As the FAA filed it
HARD LANDING BLEW LEFT MAIN TIRE. VEERED OFF RUNWAY INTO A DITCH. BLAMED HIGH SINK RATE ON FINAL. (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD FLOWN SEVERAL APPROACHES TO RUNWAY 2 AND FLOATED DURING THE FLARES. ON THIS LANDING, HE DID NOT EXTEND THE FLAPS, AND FLEW THE LANDING APPROACH ABOUT FIVE KNOTS SLOWER. JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, WITH A GOOD DESCENT RATE, HE ROTATED WITH NO CHANGE IN THE AIRPLANE'S PERFORMANCE. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD, AND THE LEFT MAIN TIRE RUPTURED. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY, THEN VEERED FURTHER LEFT, EVENTUALLY COLLIDING WITH A DITCH. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT PASSENGER STATED TO THE PILOT THAT IT FELT AS IF THE AIRPLANE SANK ABRUPTLY, AND MAY HAVE ENCOUNTERED A WIND SHIFT. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THIS AIRCRAFT WAS A LATER MODEL THAN HE HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN, SO HE HAD ONLY ONE HOUR TOTAL FLIGHT TIME IN IT. HE BELIEVES, IN RETROSPECT, HE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED FLIGHT INSTRUCTION BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. THE WIND WAS FROM 290 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. (-23)ATL98LA075
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.