# Accident 19990228014099A: Piper PA23250, Stuart, FL, February 28, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 28, 1999, 18:45 local time - Place: Stuart, FL - Airport: Witham Field Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: VSAA - Location: 27.1900° N, 80.1900° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.1900&lon=-80.1900&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2313Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2313Z) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250 - Reported engine: LYC IO540* - People aboard: 4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,625 total, 62 in this make and model, 76 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA99LA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA096) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990228014099A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON FEBRUARY 28, 1999, ABOUT 1845 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-23-250, N2313Z, REGISTERED TO STUART JET CENTER, INC., EXPERIENCED A HARD LANDING AT THE WITHAM FIELD AIRPORT, STUART, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 135, NONSCHEDULED, DOMESTIC, PASSENGER FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 10 MINUTES EARLIER FROM THE ST. LUCIE COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA. ACCORDING TO FAA PERSONNEL, THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A GO-AROUND. HE THEN RETURNED AND LANDED HARD. DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE CONSISTED OF BUCKLING TO THE FUSELAGE NEAR THE PILOT'S WINDOW, THE COPILOT'S SEAT BACK STOP FAILED, AND THE ENTRANCE DOOR WAS DAMAGED. (-23) DURING LANDING AT SUA, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A WIND GUST IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB SLIGHTLY. THE PILOT CORRECTED BY PUSHING THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT OVER WHICH CAUSED THE NOSEWHEEL TO CONTACT THE RUNWAY FIRST. THE MAIN GEAR THEN CONTACTED THE RUNWAY ASYMMETRICALLY WHICH RESULTE D IN THE RIGHT GEAR AND PROPELLER STRIKING THE GROUND FIRST. FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT SIDE. THE PILOT THEN MADE A GO-AROUND AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER FLYING BY THE TOWER TO HAVE THE GEAR CHECKED VISUALLY. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THE RIGHT PROPELLER HAD STRUCK THE RUNWAY, THE ENTRY DOOR WAS BUCKLED AND BOTH WING ROOTS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF DEFORMATION. (.4) THE PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT THE WIND AT AN AIRPORT NEAR HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS 250 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS. THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLIGHT WAS TURBULENT BUT THAT FLIGHT AND THE NEXT 2 FLIGHTS WERE UNEVENTFUL. DURING THE FINAL LEG, THE PILOT CONTACTED THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 250 DEGREES AT 18 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE FLARE TO LAND, THE NOSE PITCHED UP THEN THE AIRPLANE LANDED FIRST ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE THEN BOUNCED AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A GO-AROUND. THE FLIGHT RETURNED FOR LANDING, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED IN A THREE POINT ATTITUDE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE PILOT HEARD A SOUND FROM THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND NOTED THAT THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TIRE WAS FLAT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SECURED ON THE RUNWA Y. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MAIN WING SPAR WAS DAMAGED, THE TOP SKIN OF THE NOSE SECTION WAS WRINKLED, THE BALANCE WEIGHT FOR THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TIRE WAS SEPARATED, AND FUSELAGE DAMAGE NEAR THE PILOT'S WINDOW WAS NOTED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA99LA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA99LA096), Feb 28, 1999: Piper PA-23-250 (N2313Z), Stuart, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The inadequate touchdown resulting in a hard landing on the nose landing gear and subsequent structural damage. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.