# Accident 20000227005249A: Piper PA34200, Big Bear, CA, February 27, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 27, 2000, 11:45 local time - Place: Big Bear, CA - Airport: Big Bear City Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.2595° N, 116.8407° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2595&lon=-116.8407&mi=10 - Aircraft: N15202, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N15202-2013-08-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-34-200 (registry code 7103405, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200 - Reported engine: LYC IO360C1E6 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 538 total, 173 in this make and model, 31 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA110](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA110) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000227005249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED CROSS WINDS AND WIND GUSTS WHILE ON APPROACH WHICH CAUSED A HARD LANDING. THE RESULTS WERE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT AND MINOR INJURIES TO ALL THREE PERSONS ON BOARD. (.4) ON FEBRUARY 27, 2000, ABOUT 1145 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-34-200, N15202, OPERATED BY THE PILOT, MADE A HARD LANDING AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AT THE BIG BEAR CITY AIRPORT, BIG BEAR CITY, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH WAS PERFORMED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED; THE SECOND PASSENGER SUSTAINED A MINOR INJURY. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, ABOUT 1045. THE PILOT INDICATED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT, WHILE APPROACHING THE AIRPORT, HE HAD RECEIVED A REPORT FROM THE UNICOM OPERATOR REGARDING THE LOCAL WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED. THEREAFTER, HE ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 26. ABOUT 30 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY HE ENCOUNTERED A WIND GUST AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. IT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY, YAWED SIDEWAYS, AND CAME TO A STOP WITH A COLLAPSED LANDING GEAR AND B ENT FUSELAGE. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT DURING THE FINAL APPROACH HE USED A "NORMAL" FLAP SETTING OF 20 DEGREES, AND ON SHORT FINAL APPROACH HE REDUCED THE AIRPLANE'S APPROACH SPEED FROM 100 TO 90 KNOTS. AIRPORT MANAGEMENT REPORTED TO THE SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR THAT WHEN THE PILOT WAS ON FINAL APPROACH HE WAS ADVISED THE AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVING SYSTEM (AWOS) INDICATED THE WIND DIRECTION WAS VARIABLE, BETWEEN 170 AND 230 DEGREES. ITS SPEED WAS 13 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 28 KNOTS. IN THE PILOT'S COMPLETED ACCIDENT REPORT, HE INDICATED THAT THE WIND WAS FROM 210 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, WITH GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE PIPER PA-34-200 (SENECA) "PILOT'S OPERATING MANUAL," THE SECOND NOTCH OF FLAPS PROVIDES FOR 25 DEGREES OF FLAP EXTENSION. THE MANUAL INCLUDES HANDLING SUGGESTIONS FOR APPROACH AND LANDING. IN PERTINENT PART, IT STATES, "IF THE AIRCRAFT IS LIGHTLY LOADED, THE FINAL APPROACH SPEED MAY BE REDUCED TO 90 MPH." HOWEVER, "FLAP POSITION FOR LANDING WILL DEPEND ON RUNWAY LENGTH AND SURFACE WIND." FOR CROSSWIND OR HIGH-WIND LANDING, "APPROACH WITH HIGHER THAN NORMAL SPEED AND WITH 25 DEGREES OF FLAPS OR NO FLAPS." ## 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 LAX00LA110](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA110), Feb 27, 2000: Piper PA-34-200 (N15202), Big Bear City, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's selection of a final approach airspeed in variance with the manufacturer's recommendations, which was too slow for the gusty and variable crosswind conditions, which resulted in a… ## Other reports on N15202 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19940809034079I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940809034079I), Aug 9, 1994: Piper PA34200 (N15202), Long Beach, CA, Minor damage. Firm landing by student. Nose gear attach bolt from strut to downlock arm failed due to overstress. - [Incident 19920920049959I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920920049959I), Sep 20, 1992: Piper PA34200 (N15202), Avalon, CA, Minor damage. On landing rollout the left gear light went out. Left gear collapsed. 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.