20030415004749A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32RT-300T · Saint George, UT · April 15, 2003

Date: April 15, 2003 · 18:40 local
Place: Saint George, UT
Airport: Saint George Municipal
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N31998
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN03LA065
Reported as: Piper PA32RT300T
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 407 total78 in this make and model102 in the last 90 days

N31998Registered now · Piper PA-32RT-300TS/N 32R-7887019 · Built 1978 Airframe modelPiper PA-32RT-300T Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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) During a crosswind landing on runway 34 at st. George ut, the aircraft encountered a gust that sheared just above the runway. The aircraft floated momentarily then dropped out of the gust. The left wing was lowered for a left crosswind correction causing the left main gear to impact the runway simultaneously followed by right main and nose gear together. The nose gear retracted upon touchdown causing the aircraft to decellerate on the propeller and engine cowling. The aircraft remained aligned with runway centerline through out the landing. Both front seat pilots verify 3 green lights for landing gear down prior to landing. The left main gear was pulled rearward approximately 15 degrees as well as damage to propeller, engine and cowling. The aircraft was removed from the runway for scheduled air carrier arrival. Upon inspection the nose gear down lock assembly had sheared at the overcenter mechanical locking pin which allowed the nose gear to retract.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) DURING A CROSSWIND LANDING ON RUNWAY 34 AT ST. GEORGE UT, THE AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED A GUST THAT SHEARED JUST ABOVE THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT FLOATED MOMENTARILY THEN DROPPED OUT OF THE GUST. THE LEFT WING WAS LOWERED FOR A LEFT CROSSWIND CORRECTION CAUSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR TO IMPACT THE RUNWAY SIMULTANEOUSLY FOLLOWED BY RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR TOGETHER. THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTED UPON TOUCHDOWN CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO DECELLERATE ON THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE COWLING. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED ALIGNED WITH RUNWAY CENTERLINE THROUGH OUT THE LANDING. BOTH FRONT SEAT PILOTS VERIFY 3 GREEN LIGHTS FOR LANDING GEAR DOWN PRIOR TO LANDING. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS PULLED REARWARD APPROXIMATELY 15 DEGREES AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO PROPELLER, ENGINE AND COWLING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY FOR SCHEDULED AIR CARRIER ARRIVAL. UPON INSPECTION THE NOSE GEAR DOWN LOCK ASSEMBLY HAD SHEARED AT THE OVERCENTER MECHANICAL LOCKING PIN WHICH ALLOWED THE NOSE GEAR TO RETRACT.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB DEN03LA065Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSt. George, UTthe pilot's improper flare technique, resulting in a hard landing that caused the nose landing gear down-lock to fail and the gear to collapse. A contributing factor was the unfavorable wind.Apr 16, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N31998 · 4

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

Accident 20250622007119ACruise/Level Flight · Winchester, IDPilot switched off the fuel lever instead of switching it to the left fuel tank. Once pilot realized this, he immediately went into restart procedures. The second attempt he thinks it may have started the aircraft but he can't fully remember. By this time the…Jun 22, 2025 · Substantial damage Incident 20130824017819ILanding: Touchdown · Salt Lake City, UTThe pilot was not able to retract the landing gear after trying the emergency gear extension checklist. The aircraft came to rest on the runway on the main gear. The nose gear collapsed. The damage was limited to the cowling, propeller, and engine. No…Aug 24, 2013 · Minor damage Incident 20101109050809ILanding: Touchdown · Salt Lake City, UTAircraft was landing when the flight instructor realized during the landing flare that the gear was not down. The instructor made the determination to go-around. The aircraft landed and when the flight instructor and the pilot stopped the aircraft is when…Nov 9, 2010 · Minor damage Incident 19910330025329IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Price, UTEngine noise and dropped in RPM. Secured engine. Oil on windshields. Landed on road. NR1 cylinder had failed.Mar 30, 1991