# Accident 20000305010139A: Piper PA46310P, Palo Alto, CA, March 5, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 5, 2000, 12:27 local time
- Place: Palo Alto, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.4496° N, 122.0993° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.4496&lon=-122.0993&mi=10
- Aircraft: N43412, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N43412) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-46-310P (registry code 7104605, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-46-310p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA46310P
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA117) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000305010139A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY, HE CLOSED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET. HE STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO ARREST THE RESULTING SINK RATE WITH FULL POWER, AND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY ONE FOOT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, COLLAPSING LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. WHEN THE GEAR COLLAPSED THE WING SPAR WAS DAMAGED WHEN THE WING STRUCK THE GROUND. VERY MINOR DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE LEFT FLAP JUST BEHIND THE WHEEL WELL. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO LEFT OR RIGHT WING FLAPS. THE PILOT SAID HE DID NOT REMEMBER POSITIVELY VERIFYING THE AIRCRAFT FLAP POSITION ON FINAL APPROACH. HE SAID HE USUALLY FLIES APPROACHES IN THE AIRCRAFT WITH FULL FLAPS. HE SAID HE REMEMBER ED OBSERVING THE FLAPS WERE UP WHEN HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AFTER IT CAME TO REST. HE ALSO SAID HE BELIEVES THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED AT A FASTER RATE THAN EXPECTED BECAUSE HE MAY HAVE USED SPEEDS APPROPRIATE FOR FULL FLAPS WHEN FLAPS MIGHT NOT HAVE EXTENDED. HE STATED THAT HE CLOSED THE THROTTLE AT 400 FEET, AND THE RATE OF AIRCRAFT DESCENT COULD NOT BE SLOWED ADEQUATELY WHEN HE ADDED FULL POWER. THE PILOT WAS COUNSELED BY THIS OFFICE, AND NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED. THIS CLOSES THE INVESTIGATION.

## 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 LAX00LA117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA117), Mar 5, 2000: Piper PA-46-310 (N43412), Palo Alto, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to obtain/maintain the proper visual glide path resulting in an undershoot and collision with the runway edge.

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.

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