# Accident 20040817018289A: Piper PA28R180, Eliot, ME, August 17, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 17, 2004, 14:08 local time
- Place: Eliot, ME
- Airport: Littlebrook Air Park Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Sfl Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.1431° N, 70.7722° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.1431&lon=-70.7722&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4631J, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4631J) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-180 (registry code 7102809, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 880 total, 6 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD04CA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD04CA038) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040817018289A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) MR. RICKER, PILOT IN COMMAND OF PIPER N4631J, WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING HIS BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW. HE INITIATED A PRACTICE EMERGENCY LANDING AT THE LITTLEBROOK AIRPARK. THE FIRST ATTEMPT WAS REJECTED DUE TO HAVING TOO HIGH AN AIRSPEED. THE SECOND ATTEMPT, ALTHOUGH NEEDED CORRECTIONS, LOOKED ACCEPTABLE TO CONTINUE. AFTER FLYING OVER A TREELINE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, AND MR. RICKER WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSED THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND CAUSE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD04CA038](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD04CA038), Aug 17, 2004: Piper PA-28R-180 (N4631J), Eliot, ME, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed above stall which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the landing gear. Also causal was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.

## Other reports on N4631J (2)

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

- [Accident 20150723013479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150723013479A), Jul 23, 2015: Piper PA-28R-180 (N4631J), Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Substantial damage. N4631J experienced a landing gear problem accompanied by a loss of steering 23 jul 2015 at Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport (fxe). The aircraft is a PA-28R-180…
- [Incident 20130313004889I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130313004889I), Mar 13, 2013: Piper PA-28R-180 (N4631J), Palm Coast, FL, Minor damage. At 2240 UTC, N4631J made an emergency landing around the 4900 block of the Palm Coast parkway. The aircraft landed eastbound in the westbound lanes. Prior to…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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