20070903829619A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-34-200T · Wilmington, DE · September 3, 2007

Date: September 3, 2007 · 13:45 local
Place: Wilmington, DE
Airport: New Castle
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N251AS
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC07CA213
Reported as: Piper PA34200T
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 430 total79 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N251ASRegistered now · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 34-8070119 · Built 1980 Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200T Engine modelContinental TSIO-360 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) Aircraft landed at New Castle Airport (ilg) on 09/03/2007 at 1338E and taxied to the ramp at red eagle avionics. According to the tower transcripts the only transmission identified from the pilot to the tower after landing was that he stated his parking to be "red eagle." Shortly thereafter the tower was called by ground security to report sighting a damaged aircraft on the ramp. The pilot also called the New Castle (ilg) tower by phone to report a hard landing. At 13:45E, the ea communications center was notified of an incident. FAA inspectors inspected the aircraft on 09/04/07 and upgraded the incident to an accident based on data collected at the scene showing substantial structural damage. Visual damage noticed included a damaged nose gear, a broken windshield (a-frame support for the nose gear driven through the bulkhead and up through the windshield center post) and bent propeller blades on the right engine.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LANDED AT NEW CASTLE AIRPORT (ILG) ON 09/03/2007 AT 1338E AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP AT RED EAGLE AVIONICS. ACCORDING TO THE TOWER TRANSCRIPTS THE ONLY TRANSMISSION IDENTIFIED FROM THE PILOT TO THE TOWER AFTER LANDING WAS THAT HE STATED HIS PARKING TO BE "RED EAGLE." SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE TOWER WAS CALLED BY GROUND SECURITY TO REPORT SIGHTING A DAMAGED AIRCRAFT ON THE RAMP. THE PILOT ALSO CALLED THE NEW CASTLE (ILG) TOWER BY PHONE TO REPORT A HARD LANDING. AT 13:45E, THE EA COMMUNICATIONS CENTER WAS NOTIFIED OF AN INCIDENT. FAA INSPECTORS INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT ON 09/04/07 AND UPGRADED THE INCIDENT TO AN ACCIDENT BASED ON DATA COLLECTED AT THE SCENE SHOWING SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. VISUAL DAMAGE NOTICED INCLUDED A DAMAGED NOSE GEAR, A BROKEN WINDSHIELD (A-FRAME SUPPORT FOR THE NOSE GEAR DRIVEN THROUGH THE BULKHEAD AND UP THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD CENTER POST) AND BENT PROPELLER BLADES ON THE RIGHT ENGINE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC07CA213Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportWilmington, DEThe pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor to the accident was the wind gust.Sep 3, 2007 · Substantial damage