20040918035209I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-22-135 · Fountain Hills, AZ · September 18, 2004

Date
September 18, 2004 · 08:15 local
Place
Fountain Hills, AZ
Airport
Goldfield Ranch Airport
Phase of flight
Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3618A
Reported as
Piper PA22135
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
900 total600 in this make and model35 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 stated that prior to landing he determined the wind to be calm by a fly over and observation of the wind sock. Pilot further stated that just prior to touchdown he encountered a strong gust from the right rear while he was still in ground effect attempting a flare to a three point landing. Pilot stated that at that point the controls momentarily "went limp" and the aircraft drifted off the left side of the runway, yawed to the right and touched down in a crab. The aircraft then turned over onto it's back at a slow speed. A & p survey of aircraft documented damage to the propeller, cowling nose section, windshield and rudder tip bow. No injuries to the pilot or passenger.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT PRIOR TO LANDING HE DETERMINED THE WIND TO BE CALM BY A FLY OVER AND OBSERVATION OF THE WIND SOCK. PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN HE ENCOUNTERED A STRONG GUST FROM THE RIGHT REAR WHILE HE WAS STILL IN GROUND EFFECT ATTEMPTING A FLARE TO A THREE POINT LANDING. PILOT STATED THAT AT THAT POINT THE CONTROLS MOMENTARILY "WENT LIMP" AND THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, YAWED TO THE RIGHT AND TOUCHED DOWN IN A CRAB. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TURNED OVER ONTO IT'S BACK AT A SLOW SPEED. A & P SURVEY OF AIRCRAFT DOCUMENTED DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, COWLING NOSE SECTION, WINDSHIELD AND RUDDER TIP BOW. NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER.