What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 2, 2023, at approximately 1200 eastern standard time, privacy data omitted, a 1964 Piper PA-28, s/n 28-20344, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Cherokee County Airport (kcni) in Canton, Georgia. According to the safety performance analysis system (spas), the aircraft is privacy data omitted. There were two individuals on board that sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight, day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
On April 2, 2023, at approximately 1215 eastern standard time, an FAA inspector from the atlanta FSDO was contacted by the regional operations center and informed of the accident. Pictures of the accident site and aircraft were provided by the Cherokee County Airport to the FAA. At the request of the NTSB, the aircraft was recovered the next day by privacy data omittedand transported to griffin, Georgia. Analysis of the pictures provided by kcni and discussion with airport officials, revealed the aircraft had come to rest inverted after landing and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing tip spar and vertical stabilizer.
On April 2, 2023, at approximately 1245 easter standard time, an inspector from the atlanta FSDO interviewed the PIC by phone and provided the following statement:
“At 11:50 am we were on short final to runway 23. As we got close to the runway the plane seemed to experience a dramatic loss of lift. We hit the runway harder than we should have and bounced. When we touched down the second time the plane veered off to the left at about 40-45 degrees and was not steerable with the rudder pedals. We crossed the taxiway and the plane flipped over and stopped on an embankment. I got out and then my passenger got out. Both of us have bumps on our head and I have some shoulder pain.”
During further conversation with the PIC, he stated that as he was on short final to runway 23, he noticed the aircraft began to lose lift due to his approach speed being slow. Once he realized his mistake, he quickly provided power to the aircraft, which caused the aircraft to hit the runway harder than normal, subsequently causing the aircraft to bounce. The second bounce was so severe that the aircraft violently shot to the left at a 45 degree turn which was uncontrollable.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 2, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A 1964 PIPER PA-28, S/N 28-20344, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT THE CHEROKEE COUNTY AIRPORT (KCNI) IN CANTON, GEORGIA. ACCORDING TO THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS SYSTEM (SPAS), THE AIRCRAFT IS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THERE WERE TWO INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD THAT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE HOSPITALIZATION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT, DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
ON APRIL 2, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1215 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO WAS CONTACTED BY THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER AND INFORMED OF THE ACCIDENT. PICTURES OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AND AIRCRAFT WERE PROVIDED BY THE CHEROKEE COUNTY AIRPORT TO THE FAA. AT THE REQUEST OF THE NTSB, THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED THE NEXT DAY BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^AND TRANSPORTED TO GRIFFIN, GEORGIA. ANALYSIS OF THE PICTURES PROVIDED BY KCNI AND DISCUSSION WITH AIRPORT OFFICIALS, REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT HAD COME TO REST INVERTED AFTER LANDING AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, LEFT WING TIP SPAR AND VERTICAL STABILIZER.
ON APRIL 2, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 1245 EASTER STANDARD TIME, AN INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO INTERVIEWED THE PIC BY PHONE AND PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
“AT 11:50 AM WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 23. AS WE GOT CLOSE TO THE RUNWAY THE PLANE SEEMED TO EXPERIENCE A DRAMATIC LOSS OF LIFT. WE HIT THE RUNWAY HARDER THAN WE SHOULD HAVE AND BOUNCED. WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN THE SECOND TIME THE PLANE VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT AT ABOUT 40-45 DEGREES AND WAS NOT STEERABLE WITH THE RUDDER PEDALS. WE CROSSED THE TAXIWAY AND THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER AND STOPPED ON AN EMBANKMENT. I GOT OUT AND THEN MY PASSENGER GOT OUT. BOTH OF US HAVE BUMPS ON OUR HEAD AND I HAVE SOME SHOULDER PAIN.”
DURING FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH THE PIC, HE STATED THAT AS HE WAS ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 23, HE NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE LIFT DUE TO HIS APPROACH SPEED BEING SLOW. ONCE HE REALIZED HIS MISTAKE, HE QUICKLY PROVIDED POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO HIT THE RUNWAY HARDER THAN NORMAL, SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BOUNCE. THE SECOND BOUNCE WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE AIRCRAFT VIOLENTLY SHOT TO THE LEFT AT A 45 DEGREE TURN WHICH WAS UNCONTROLLABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6301W · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.