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20001020031899I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA46310P · Rockland, ME · October 20, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 20, 2000 · 13:00 local
Place
Rockland, ME
Airport
Knox County Regional
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N68BS
Reported as
Piper PA46310P
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A34
Pilot’s flight hours
1,720 total1,230 in this make and model60 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.

(-23)Approximately 1300 hours o 10-20-00, N68BS, a Piper PA46-310P aircraft landed runway 31 at rkd with VMC. Upon touchdown, the pilot noted a front sinking motion and applied elevator to keep the nose section higher than normal. Upon release of the elevator, the nose section sank more and the four blade propeller struck the pavement and the aircraft came to a stop. There were no injuried. Damage was limited to the propeller and the nose gear. Investigation found the tube that supports the nose gear assembly is part of the engine mount. The tube was broken at the point where the nose gear support tube attaches to the engine mount. It should be noted that this aircraft has been modified by STC to incorporate a pwc PT6A-34 engine and has approximately 300 hours of operation. The holder of the STC (jet prop LLC, STC SA00541SE) is aware of the problem and has advised owners of perform 25 hours inspections of the area affected. They have also produced kits to modify the engine mount by "beefing up" the cluster area.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)APPROXIMATELY 1300 HOURS O 10-20-00, N68BS, A PIPER PA46-310P AIRCRAFT LANDED RUNWAY 31 AT RKD WITH VMC. UPON TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT NOTED A FRONT SINKING MOTION AND APPLIED ELEVATOR TO KEEP THE NOSE SECTION HIGHER THAN NORMAL. UPON RELEASE OF THE ELEVATOR, THE NOSE SECTION SANK MORE AND THE FOUR BLADE PROPELLER STRUCK THE PAVEMENT AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. THERE WERE NO INJURIED. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE PROPELLER AND THE NOSE GEAR. INVESTIGATION FOUND THE TUBE THAT SUPPORTS THE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY IS PART OF THE ENGINE MOUNT. THE TUBE WAS BROKEN AT THE POINT WHERE THE NOSE GEAR SUPPORT TUBE ATTACHES TO THE ENGINE MOUNT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS AIRCRAFT HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY STC TO INCORPORATE A PWC PT6A-34 ENGINE AND HAS APPROXIMATELY 300 HOURS OF OPERATION. THE HOLDER OF THE STC (JET PROP LLC, STC SA00541SE) IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS ADVISED OWNERS OF PERFORM 25 HOURS INSPECTIONS OF THE AREA AFFECTED. THEY HAVE ALSO PRODUCED KITS TO MODIFY THE ENGINE MOUNT BY "BEEFING UP" THE CLUSTER AREA.