20000330040059A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-301 · East Haddam, CT · March 30, 2000

Date
March 30, 2000 · 15:45 local
Place
East Haddam, CT
Airport
Goodspeed Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8041B
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC00LA111
Reported as
Piper PA32R301
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,261 total16 in this make and model29 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4)On March 30, 2000, about 1545 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32R-301, N8041B, was substantially damaged while landing at the Goodspeed Airport (42B), East Haddam, Connecticut. The certificated flight instructor (CFI), and the certificated private pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument rules fight plan was filed for the flight that departed from igor I Sikorsky memorial airport, bridgeport, Connecticut. The instructional flight was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the private pilot, a biennial flight review was being conducted, which was to include a short field landing. The airplane was flown to 42B to conduct the short field landing and the private pilot had expected to land on runway 14, because the winds had been from a southerly direction. After flying over the airport, the windsock was observed to favor runway 32. While on final to runway 32, the airplane passed over trees and began to sink. Unable to recover from the sink with power, the airplane touched down in a field about 60 feet prior to the runway threshold and collapsed the left main landing gear. The airplane continued onto the runway, veered to the left, and back onto the grass, collapsing the right main and nose landing gear. The winds reported at an airport 17 miles to the northwest of 42B, at 1556, were from 330 degrees at 7 knots. (-23) during a bfr, owner/pilot attempted a short field landing at Goodspeed Airport, East Haddam, CT. Pilot landed short of runway 32, proceeded onto runway, skidded approximately 300-400 feet before exiting runway to the west side onto the grass at a 90 degree angle to the runway. All three gear snapped, right main inboard and nose and left main outboard. Pilot stated that the wind was gusting and he sank toward the runway as he added power to arrest the sink. Propeller blade was buried in the ground and damage to aircraft was substantial.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)ON MARCH 30, 2000, ABOUT 1545 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32R-301, N8041B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHILE LANDING AT THE GOODSPEED AIRPORT (42B), EAST HADDAM, CONNECTICUT. THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), AND THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT RULES FIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED FROM IGOR I SIKORSKY MEMORIAL AIRPORT, BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PRIVATE PILOT, A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW WAS BEING CONDUCTED, WHICH WAS TO INCLUDE A SHORT FIELD LANDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN TO 42B TO CONDUCT THE SHORT FIELD LANDING AND THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD EXPECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 14, BECAUSE THE WINDS HAD BEEN FROM A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. AFTER FLYING OVER THE AIRPORT, THE WINDSOCK WAS OBSERVED TO FAVOR RUNWAY 32. WHILE ON FINAL TO RUNWAY 32, THE AIRPLANE PASSED OVER TREES AND BEGAN TO SINK. UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE SINK WITH POWER, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN IN A FIELD ABOUT 60 FEET PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND COLLAPSED THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED ONTO THE RUNWAY, VEERED TO THE LEFT, AND BACK ONTO THE GRASS, COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE LANDING GEAR. THE WINDS REPORTED AT AN AIRPORT 17 MILES TO THE NORTHWEST OF 42B, AT 1556, WERE FROM 330 DEGREES AT 7 KNOTS. (-23) DURING A BFR, OWNER/PILOT ATTEMPTED A SHORT FIELD LANDING AT GOODSPEED AIRPORT, EAST HADDAM, CT. PILOT LANDED SHORT OF RUNWAY 32, PROCEEDED ONTO RUNWAY, SKIDDED APPROXIMATELY 300-400 FEET BEFORE EXITING RUNWAY TO THE WEST SIDE ONTO THE GRASS AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE RUNWAY. ALL THREE GEAR SNAPPED, RIGHT MAIN INBOARD AND NOSE AND LEFT MAIN OUTBOARD. PILOT STATED THAT THE WIND WAS GUSTING AND HE SANK TOWARD THE RUNWAY AS HE ADDED POWER TO ARREST THE SINK. PROPELLER BLADE WAS BURIED IN THE GROUND AND DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIAL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N8041B · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.