20231104019059A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-18-150 · Tompkinsville, KY · November 4, 2023

Date: November 4, 2023 · 08:20 local
Place: Tompkinsville, KY
Airport: Tompkinsville-Monroe County
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4056Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA24LA035
Reported as: Piper PA-18-150
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,506 total162 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N4056ZRegistered now · Piper PA-18-150S/N 18-8064 · Built 1963 Airframe modelPiper PA-18-150 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

According to the pilot's statement: accident flight was a post maintenance flight following an annual inspection. There was one pilot and one passenger onboard the aircraft. The pilot climbed to 3000 feet and performed several maneuvers. There were no malfunctions or abnormalities.

Pilot initiated a simulated emergency descent to runway for a landing. Pilot stated that at 10 to 15 feet AGL, full flaps, engine at idle, no slip, near the runway threshold, they may have experienced a downdraft resulting in a hard landing, touching down in grass just short of the runway threshold. The landing gear collapsed. Pilot and passenger exited damaged aircraft with no injuries. There was no damage to airport property and no post-accident fire.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT: ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS A POST MAINTENANCE FLIGHT FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THERE WAS ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT CLIMBED TO 3000 FEET AND PERFORMED SEVERAL MANEUVERS. THERE WERE NO MALFUNCTIONS OR ABNORMALITIES.

PILOT INITIATED A SIMULATED EMERGENCY DESCENT TO RUNWAY FOR A LANDING. PILOT STATED THAT AT 10 TO 15 FEET AGL, FULL FLAPS, ENGINE AT IDLE, NO SLIP, NEAR THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD, THEY MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED A DOWNDRAFT RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING, TOUCHING DOWN IN GRASS JUST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED DAMAGED AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO AIRPORT PROPERTY AND NO POST-ACCIDENT FIRE.

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 ERA24LA035Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportTompkinsville, KYThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the approach, which resulted in a hard landing.Nov 4, 2023 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4056Z · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19970507013949ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Rogers City, MI(.4)According to the pilot, the tailwheel began to shimmy during the landing roll and the tailwheel spring on the left side became disconnected. The airplane spun around 270 degrees and the left wing contacted the runway. The airplane traveled off the right…May 7, 1997 · Substantial damage