20230519007089A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32RT-300T · Dekalb, IL · May 19, 2023

Date
May 19, 2023 · 17:25 local
Place
Dekalb, IL
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N442TM
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA193
Reported as
Piper PA-32RT-300T
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
24,000 total

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.

The pilot in command was providing instruction in privacy data omitted. The pilot flying had bought this aircraft that morning and was being introduced to the aircraft by practicing landings. On the first landing, winds were reported at 30013G17KT 50 minutes prior winds were reported at 32011G20KT. The pilot in command stated that the aircraft was table on final and landing was smooth. A gust of wind caused him to balloon and he ordered an immediate go around. The pilot flying executed the go around maneuver and when the aircraft accelerated to about 85 knots at around 25 feet the aircraft abruptly and rapidly pitched over to around 20 degrees nose low. The aircraft hit runway 27 with about 10 degrees nose low, the nose wheel broke which lead to a prop strike. The main gear collapsed and the aircraft slid off the left side of runway 27 and into the grass where is spun around and stopped on approximately a 090 heading.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS PROVIDING INSTRUCTION IN ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT FLYING HAD BOUGHT THIS AIRCRAFT THAT MORNING AND WAS BEING INTRODUCED TO THE AIRCRAFT BY PRACTICING LANDINGS. ON THE FIRST LANDING, WINDS WERE REPORTED AT 30013G17KT 50 MINUTES PRIOR WINDS WERE REPORTED AT 32011G20KT. THE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TABLE ON FINAL AND LANDING WAS SMOOTH. A GUST OF WIND CAUSED HIM TO BALLOON AND HE ORDERED AN IMMEDIATE GO AROUND. THE PILOT FLYING EXECUTED THE GO AROUND MANEUVER AND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 85 KNOTS AT AROUND 25 FEET THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY AND RAPIDLY PITCHED OVER TO AROUND 20 DEGREES NOSE LOW. THE AIRCRAFT HIT RUNWAY 27 WITH ABOUT 10 DEGREES NOSE LOW, THE NOSE WHEEL BROKE WHICH LEAD TO A PROP STRIKE. THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 27 AND INTO THE GRASS WHERE IS SPUN AROUND AND STOPPED ON APPROXIMATELY A 090 HEADING.

NTSB investigation

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