What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On March 16, 1999, about 1831 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-44-180, N106BM, owned and operated by custom pilot services, Prescott, Arizona, made a hard landing on runway 12 at the Ernest a. Love field, Prescott, Arizona. The airplane veered off the side of the runway, traversed a drainage ditch and was substantially damaged. Neither the commercial pilot nor passenger was injured. Responding fire department personnel reported that at the time of the accident the runway surface was wet. Visual meteorological conditions existed. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight performed under 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated from Prescott about 1757. The preliminary examination of the airplane revealed its left main landing gear and the nose gear were collapsed. Additional structural damage to the fuselage was observed. The Prescott based operator reported that the pilot was employed full-time as a certified flight instructor. He had flown the airplane to increase his multiengine flight experiernce. Police officials reported finding a note, written by the pilot, who committed suicide after the accident. The note stated the following: "NTSB, lack of crosswind correction, tailwind, hydroplaning, failure to timely go around." (.4)ground witnesses observed the airplane flare out high, then touch down hard; it did not bounce. The airplane initially rolled down the runway. Then, it veered right and rolled over a culvert, collapsing the left main landing gear and the nose gear. Additional structural damage also occurred to the airframe. The pilot reported to a responding airport employee that the runway was 'slick.' At the time, the runway was wet due to light rain, no standing water was present, and the wind was from 220 degrees at 9 knots. In a written note addressed to the national transportation safety board the pilot stated the following: 'NTSB, lack of crosswind correction, tailwind, hydroplaning, failure to timely go around.' The pilot was employed as a full-time flight instructor. Four days earlier he had passed a flight check for the multiengine flight instructor's certificate. His total multiengine flying experience and experience in the accident airplane was about 60 and 6 hours, respectively. (-23)after accident witness statements indicated a hard landing and loss of control, aircraft went off runway to the right.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MARCH 16, 1999, ABOUT 1831 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-44-180, N106BM, OWNED AND OPERATED BY CUSTOM PILOT SERVICES, PRESCOTT, ARIZONA, MADE A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 12 AT THE ERNEST A. LOVE FIELD, PRESCOTT, ARIZONA. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, TRAVERSED A DRAINAGE DITCH AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NEITHER THE COMMERCIAL PILOT NOR PASSENGER WAS INJURED. RESPONDING FIRE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE RUNWAY SURFACE WAS WET. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PRESCOTT ABOUT 1757. THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED ITS LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE NOSE GEAR WERE COLLAPSED. ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE WAS OBSERVED. THE PRESCOTT BASED OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE PILOT WAS EMPLOYED FULL-TIME AS A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. HE HAD FLOWN THE AIRPLANE TO INCREASE HIS MULTIENGINE FLIGHT EXPERIERNCE. POLICE OFFICIALS REPORTED FINDING A NOTE, WRITTEN BY THE PILOT, WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE NOTE STATED THE FOLLOWING: "NTSB, LACK OF CROSSWIND CORRECTION, TAILWIND, HYDROPLANING, FAILURE TO TIMELY GO AROUND." (.4)GROUND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLARE OUT HIGH, THEN TOUCH DOWN HARD; IT DID NOT BOUNCE. THE AIRPLANE INITIALLY ROLLED DOWN THE RUNWAY. THEN, IT VEERED RIGHT AND ROLLED OVER A CULVERT, COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE NOSE GEAR. ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ALSO OCCURRED TO THE AIRFRAME. THE PILOT REPORTED TO A RESPONDING AIRPORT EMPLOYEE THAT THE RUNWAY WAS 'SLICK.' AT THE TIME, THE RUNWAY WAS WET DUE TO LIGHT RAIN, NO STANDING WATER WAS PRESENT, AND THE WIND WAS FROM 220 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS. IN A WRITTEN NOTE ADDRESSED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD THE PILOT STATED THE FOLLOWING: 'NTSB, LACK OF CROSSWIND CORRECTION, TAILWIND, HYDROPLANING, FAILURE TO TIMELY GO AROUND.' THE PILOT WAS EMPLOYED AS A FULL-TIME FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. FOUR DAYS EARLIER HE HAD PASSED A FLIGHT CHECK FOR THE MULTIENGINE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S CERTIFICATE. HIS TOTAL MULTIENGINE FLYING EXPERIENCE AND EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 60 AND 6 HOURS, RESPECTIVELY. (-23)AFTER ACCIDENT WITNESS STATEMENTS INDICATED A HARD LANDING AND LOSS OF CONTROL, AIRCRAFT WENT OFF RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.