What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
FAA form 8020-9:
Landed hard on runway 5 and the aircraft was destroyed due to ground fire.
Pilot statement:
Last flight of Piper colt N473Z
September 28, 2017
On September 28, after a thorough preflight inspection which included a check of air pressure, oil and fuel levels (l 17 gals. And r 13 gals. Usable) as well as a walk around of the aircraft, I left ridgeland, SC (3J1) at approximately 1000 hrs. Local time on a flight to Orangeburg, SC (kogb) for a prearranged meeting with south carolina avionics services in order to have my radio checked. The flight seemed fairly routine and at an altitude of 2,000 feet AGL. Winds were calm to light and visibility was fine. During the course of the flight, I called AWOS at lowcountry regional and recall setting my altimeter to 29.94. At about 10NMS out from kogb I called their AWOS and re set the altimeter to 29.93 and on the basis of that report determined that I would use runway 05. I then called Orangeburg traffic on 122.7, announced my position and that I was inbound and would be maneuvering to join the left downwind for 05. Upon joining, at about 1100 hrs. Local time, I again called and announced my position. This was repeated upon tuning base and again when turning from base to final at about 700 ft. AGL. At this point my indicated airspeed was good at 75 mph and I lined up on the center line. If there were any winds they must have been right down 05. As I touched down on the main landing gear, I lost my right tire/wheel which caused the aircraft to tip and to skew suddenly to the right. As it continued crablike down the runway I believe I lost the left tire/wheel and possibly the nose wheel as the aircraft finally stopped in a nose down position. Smoke was already coming from under the cowling. After shutting off the fuel and turning off the magnetos, I expedited my exit from the aircraft. At this point, I could see flames also coming from under the cowling. Accordingly. I moved to what I thought to be a safe distance from the airplane. Moments later, the entire plane was engulfed in flames and I headed to the FBO on foot and was picked up by the airport manager in a golf cart. I watched from the FBO as the fire dept. Reached the site and later as a front-end loader picked up the wreckage and removed it from the runway.
As the FAA filed it
FAA FORM 8020-9:
LANDED HARD ON RUNWAY 5 AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED DUE TO GROUND FIRE.
PILOT STATEMENT:
LAST FLIGHT OF PIPER COLT N473Z
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017
ON SEPTEMBER 28, AFTER A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WHICH INCLUDED A CHECK OF AIR PRESSURE, OIL AND FUEL LEVELS (L 17 GALS. AND R 13 GALS. USABLE) AS WELL AS A WALK AROUND OF THE AIRCRAFT, I LEFT RIDGELAND, SC (3J1) AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 HRS. LOCAL TIME ON A FLIGHT TO ORANGEBURG, SC (KOGB) FOR A PREARRANGED MEETING WITH SOUTH CAROLINA AVIONICS SERVICES IN ORDER TO HAVE MY RADIO CHECKED. THE FLIGHT SEEMED FAIRLY ROUTINE AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2,000 FEET AGL. WINDS WERE CALM TO LIGHT AND VISIBILITY WAS FINE. DURING THE COURSE OF THE FLIGHT, I CALLED AWOS AT LOWCOUNTRY REGIONAL AND RECALL SETTING MY ALTIMETER TO 29.94. AT ABOUT 10NMS OUT FROM KOGB I CALLED THEIR AWOS AND RE SET THE ALTIMETER TO 29.93 AND ON THE BASIS OF THAT REPORT DETERMINED THAT I WOULD USE RUNWAY 05. I THEN CALLED ORANGEBURG TRAFFIC ON 122.7, ANNOUNCED MY POSITION AND THAT I WAS INBOUND AND WOULD BE MANEUVERING TO JOIN THE LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 05. UPON JOINING, AT ABOUT 1100 HRS. LOCAL TIME, I AGAIN CALLED AND ANNOUNCED MY POSITION. THIS WAS REPEATED UPON TUNING BASE AND AGAIN WHEN TURNING FROM BASE TO FINAL AT ABOUT 700 FT. AGL. AT THIS POINT MY INDICATED AIRSPEED WAS GOOD AT 75 MPH AND I LINED UP ON THE CENTER LINE. IF THERE WERE ANY WINDS THEY MUST HAVE BEEN RIGHT DOWN 05. AS I TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR, I LOST MY RIGHT TIRE/WHEEL WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO TIP AND TO SKEW SUDDENLY TO THE RIGHT. AS IT CONTINUED CRABLIKE DOWN THE RUNWAY I BELIEVE I LOST THE LEFT TIRE/WHEEL AND POSSIBLY THE NOSE WHEEL AS THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY STOPPED IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION. SMOKE WAS ALREADY COMING FROM UNDER THE COWLING. AFTER SHUTTING OFF THE FUEL AND TURNING OFF THE MAGNETOS, I EXPEDITED MY EXIT FROM THE AIRCRAFT. AT THIS POINT, I COULD SEE FLAMES ALSO COMING FROM UNDER THE COWLING. ACCORDINGLY. I MOVED TO WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE AIRPLANE. MOMENTS LATER, THE ENTIRE PLANE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND I HEADED TO THE FBO ON FOOT AND WAS PICKED UP BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER IN A GOLF CART. I WATCHED FROM THE FBO AS THE FIRE DEPT. REACHED THE SITE AND LATER AS A FRONT-END LOADER PICKED UP THE WRECKAGE AND REMOVED IT FROM THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.