What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The airplane was on approach to runway 28, a 3,600 foot-long, 75 foot-wide, asphalt runway. The pilot stated he encountered a "strong gust or shear," which pushed the airplane up and to the right and had almost completed the correction from the right edge of the runway to the center line, when "the bottom dropped out." The airplane bounced, began to porpoise and the right wing and front propeller contacted the runway. The airplane then veered off the right side of the runway and entered a ditch. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions; nor did the pilot report any. The pilot obtained his multi-engine private pilot rating about 1 month prior to the accident. The pilot reported about 1,100 hours of total flight experience, which included 25 hours of multi-engine flight experience. Prior to the accident flight, the pilot accumulated 15 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane, all with a flight instructor. Winds reported at an airport about 11 miles west of the accident site, were from 200 degrees at 14 knots. (-23) Mr. Valor had recently added a multi-engine rating to his private pilot certificate. He had been given instruction in the CE-337 at the time of purchase in Michigan and had received additional instruction in the aircraft at new Kent from CFI, matt hubbard. Mr. Valor stated that he was practicing takeoffs and landings at the time of the accident. He had made one landing and one go-around prior to this event. He stated that he was on the final approach to runway 28, indicated airspeed 90 mph with full flaps, when a gust of wind caught him and caused him to balloon. This resulted in the aircraft porpoising twice. The aircraft dropped and struck the runway on the nose gear. The aircraft skidded off the right side of the runway and came to rest. Mr. Valor stated that he shut the fuel, the magnetos, and the master switch off and then exited the aircraft. The wind, at the time of the accident, was estimated from 200 degrees at 10 mph gusting to 18 mph. A Cessna 337-F, N20AK, was found 100 feet north of the centerline and 1,800 feet from the approach end of runway 28. The aircraft's right wing struck the runway approximately 1,500 feet from the approach end of runway 28. The nose of the aircraft hit the runway with great force immediately thereafter. Four prop strike marks in the runway and a curled prop indicates high power at the time of impact. Pieces of nose wheel rim were found immediately beyond the point of impact. After leaving tire skid marks and abrasions of the nose on the runway, which led approximately 100 feet to the right edge of the pavement and continued an additional 200 feet in the dirt, the left wing of the aircraft then struck a small cedar tree. The aircraft came to rest on a heading of 260 degrees. Pilot, norman valor, was the only person on board. He received no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 28, A 3,600 FOOT-LONG, 75 FOOT-WIDE, ASPHALT RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED HE ENCOUNTERED A "STRONG GUST OR SHEAR," WHICH PUSHED THE AIRPLANE UP AND TO THE RIGHT AND HAD ALMOST COMPLETED THE CORRECTION FROM THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY TO THE CENTER LINE, WHEN "THE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT." THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED, BEGAN TO PORPOISE AND THE RIGHT WING AND FRONT PROPELLER CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE THEN VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND ENTERED A DITCH. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTIONS; NOR DID THE PILOT REPORT ANY. THE PILOT OBTAINED HIS MULTI-ENGINE PRIVATE PILOT RATING ABOUT 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED ABOUT 1,100 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, WHICH INCLUDED 25 HOURS OF MULTI-ENGINE FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT ACCUMULATED 15 HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE, ALL WITH A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. WINDS REPORTED AT AN AIRPORT ABOUT 11 MILES WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, WERE FROM 200 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS. (-23) MR. VALOR HAD RECENTLY ADDED A MULTI-ENGINE RATING TO HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE. HE HAD BEEN GIVEN INSTRUCTION IN THE CE-337 AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE IN MICHIGAN AND HAD RECEIVED ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION IN THE AIRCRAFT AT NEW KENT FROM CFI, MATT HUBBARD. MR. VALOR STATED THAT HE WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD MADE ONE LANDING AND ONE GO-AROUND PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. HE STATED THAT HE WAS ON THE FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 28, INDICATED AIRSPEED 90 MPH WITH FULL FLAPS, WHEN A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT HIM AND CAUSED HIM TO BALLOON. THIS RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT PORPOISING TWICE. THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED AND STRUCK THE RUNWAY ON THE NOSE GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST. MR. VALOR STATED THAT HE SHUT THE FUEL, THE MAGNETOS, AND THE MASTER SWITCH OFF AND THEN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE WIND, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, WAS ESTIMATED FROM 200 DEGREES AT 10 MPH GUSTING TO 18 MPH. A CESSNA 337-F, N20AK, WAS FOUND 100 FEET NORTH OF THE CENTERLINE AND 1,800 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 28. THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING STRUCK THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 1,500 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 28. THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE RUNWAY WITH GREAT FORCE IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER. FOUR PROP STRIKE MARKS IN THE RUNWAY AND A CURLED PROP INDICATES HIGH POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. PIECES OF NOSE WHEEL RIM WERE FOUND IMMEDIATELY BEYOND THE POINT OF IMPACT. AFTER LEAVING TIRE SKID MARKS AND ABRASIONS OF THE NOSE ON THE RUNWAY, WHICH LED APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET TO THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT AND CONTINUED AN ADDITIONAL 200 FEET IN THE DIRT, THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A SMALL CEDAR TREE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A HEADING OF 260 DEGREES. PILOT, NORMAN VALOR, WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD. HE RECEIVED NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.