20040906033519I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Bbavia 7AC · Schenectady, NY · September 6, 2004

Date
September 6, 2004 · 12:30 local
Place
Schenectady, NY
Airport
Schenectady County
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N84771
Reported as
Bbavia 7AC
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0

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) On final approach to ksch, PIC made slight input to the left rudder to stay aligned with the runway 22. Just prior to touching down, a strong gust from the left picked up the aircraft approximately six feet from the ground. PIC attempted to level the wings, but almost instantly, the aircraft stalled, and struck the runway. PIC was able to taxi to ramp where the aircraft was then secured. There were no injuries to PIC, or passenger. Damage to the aircraft was substantial, specifically, to the structural area of the right main landing gear. Additionally, the windshield was fractured as a result of the hard landing. Weather at the time of the incident was reported as VFR, with winds 180 degrees at 6 knots.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON FINAL APPROACH TO KSCH, PIC MADE SLIGHT INPUT TO THE LEFT RUDDER TO STAY ALIGNED WITH THE RUNWAY 22. JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHING DOWN, A STRONG GUST FROM THE LEFT PICKED UP THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY SIX FEET FROM THE GROUND. PIC ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL THE WINGS, BUT ALMOST INSTANTLY, THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, AND STRUCK THE RUNWAY. PIC WAS ABLE TO TAXI TO RAMP WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN SECURED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PIC, OR PASSENGER. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIAL, SPECIFICALLY, TO THE STRUCTURAL AREA OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. ADDITIONALLY, THE WINDSHIELD WAS FRACTURED AS A RESULT OF THE HARD LANDING. WEATHER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED AS VFR, WITH WINDS 180 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS.