20040307002739I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Beech S35 · Griffin, GA · March 7, 2004

Date: March 7, 2004 · 23:25 local
Place: Griffin, GA
Airport: Griffin-Spalding County Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8915U
Reported as: Beech S35
Reported engine: Continental IO520*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 27 total13 in this make and model14 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) Pilot made an approach to land on runway 32 at Griffin, Georgia, in gusty wind conditions (280-20G25KT). Pilot stated that he added about 10 mph to the normal glide path airspeed to compensate for gusts. Pilot stated that he flared the airplane a little high during the final landing phase. Pilot stated that when he attempted to re-establish the glide path, he over-corrected while pushing forward on the flight controls. The airplane bounced once, about 10-feet, and touched down hard enough on the nose landing to cause the lower nose strut assembly to fail. Airplane skidded about 680 and remained on the runway. Pilot and passenger were uninjured. Damage to airplane was minor: bent propeller, broken lower strut gear assembly, nose gear wheel, and nose tire.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT MADE AN APPROACH TO LAND ON RUNWAY 32 AT GRIFFIN, GEORGIA, IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS (280-20G25KT). PILOT STATED THAT HE ADDED ABOUT 10 MPH TO THE NORMAL GLIDE PATH AIRSPEED TO COMPENSATE FOR GUSTS. PILOT STATED THAT HE FLARED THE AIRPLANE A LITTLE HIGH DURING THE FINAL LANDING PHASE. PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO RE-ESTABLISH THE GLIDE PATH, HE OVER-CORRECTED WHILE PUSHING FORWARD ON THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED ONCE, ABOUT 10-FEET, AND TOUCHED DOWN HARD ENOUGH ON THE NOSE LANDING TO CAUSE THE LOWER NOSE STRUT ASSEMBLY TO FAIL. AIRPLANE SKIDDED ABOUT 680 AND REMAINED ON THE RUNWAY. PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. DAMAGE TO AIRPLANE WAS MINOR: BENT PROPELLER, BROKEN LOWER STRUT GEAR ASSEMBLY, NOSE GEAR WHEEL, AND NOSE TIRE.