20031011030959I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Amtr LANCAIR 320 · Roanoke, VA · October 11, 2003

Date: October 11, 2003 · 19:00 local
Place: Roanoke, VA
Airport: Roanoke Regional/Woodrum Field
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N320PD
Reported as: Amtr LANCAIR320
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 190 total6 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

N320PDRegistered now · Doran Peter DDS LANCAIR 320S/N 333 Airframe modelDoran Peter DDS LANCAIR 320 Engine modelLycoming IO-320 seriesReciprocating

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) The pilot reported to ATCT that he may of had a possible electrical problem while flying in the pattern. The aircraft touched down on runway 6, when ATCT informed him of sparks coming from the front of the aircraft. The pilot aborted landing and went around. The aircraft landed on runway 6, approximately 1,200 feet east of approach ending high and fast, causing the nose gear to collapse and damage the propeller and lower fuselage. The on-scene investigation revealed that no maintenance problems were found. Two witnesses, both mechanics for piedmont aviation, stated that the aircraft left Roanoke airport initially with radio problems and that the pilot came in too high and fast for a safe landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATCT THAT HE MAY OF HAD A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WHILE FLYING IN THE PATTERN. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 6, WHEN ATCT INFORMED HIM OF SPARKS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ABORTED LANDING AND WENT AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 6, APPROXIMATELY 1,200 FEET EAST OF APPROACH ENDING HIGH AND FAST, CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND DAMAGE THE PROPELLER AND LOWER FUSELAGE. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT NO MAINTENANCE PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. TWO WITNESSES, BOTH MECHANICS FOR PIEDMONT AVIATION, STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LEFT ROANOKE AIRPORT INITIALLY WITH RADIO PROBLEMS AND THAT THE PILOT CAME IN TOO HIGH AND FAST FOR A SAFE LANDING.