20030515009059A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28R-200 · Gaithersburg, MD · May 15, 2003

Date: May 15, 2003 · 13:00 local
Place: Gaithersburg, MD
Airport: Montgomery County Arpk Airport
Phase of flight: Sfl Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N1514X
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC03LA108
Reported as: Piper PA28R200
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 340 total20 in this make and model36 in the last 90 days

N1514XRegistered now · Piper PA-28R-200S/N 28R-7535305 · Built 1975 Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-200 Engine modelLycoming IO-360-C1CReciprocating

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) Met with Mr. Moore 2:30 pm at gai. Aircraft had been moved from spot where it stopped so that the runway could be used. Aircraft was landing runway 14. Mr. Moore had been practicing power-off landings and this was his 6th or 7th landing. He was dragging the airplane in low and slow and on this approach when he dropped below the tree line the wind died and the airspeed dropped and the aircraft stalled. Mr. Moore was still about 100 ft. from the runway and about 30 ft. in the air. The aircraft landed very hard. The nose wheel dug in and when it caught the lip of the runway it folded back. The left main gear came up through the wing then broke off and was still attached by the brake line and trailed the aircraft. The right gear broke off and was attached by the brake line and also trailed the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest about 100' from the end of the runway on the threshold stripes. The prop was bent back. It appears that there was little to no power at the time of impact.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) MET WITH MR. MOORE 2:30 PM AT GAI. AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MOVED FROM SPOT WHERE IT STOPPED SO THAT THE RUNWAY COULD BE USED. AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING RUNWAY 14. MR. MOORE HAD BEEN PRACTICING POWER-OFF LANDINGS AND THIS WAS HIS 6TH OR 7TH LANDING. HE WAS DRAGGING THE AIRPLANE IN LOW AND SLOW AND ON THIS APPROACH WHEN HE DROPPED BELOW THE TREE LINE THE WIND DIED AND THE AIRSPEED DROPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT STALLED. MR. MOORE WAS STILL ABOUT 100 FT. FROM THE RUNWAY AND ABOUT 30 FT. IN THE AIR. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED VERY HARD. THE NOSE WHEEL DUG IN AND WHEN IT CAUGHT THE LIP OF THE RUNWAY IT FOLDED BACK. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR CAME UP THROUGH THE WING THEN BROKE OFF AND WAS STILL ATTACHED BY THE BRAKE LINE AND TRAILED THE AIRCRAFT. THE RIGHT GEAR BROKE OFF AND WAS ATTACHED BY THE BRAKE LINE AND ALSO TRAILED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ABOUT 100' FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY ON THE THRESHOLD STRIPES. THE PROP WAS BENT BACK. IT APPEARS THAT THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.

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 NYC03LA108Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGaithersburg, MDThe pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed, resulting in an inadvertent stall.May 15, 2003 · Substantial damage