20240814011939A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Chetek, WI · August 14, 2024

Date
August 14, 2024 · 12:31 local
Place
Chetek, WI
Airport
Chetek Municipal-Southworth
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3613W
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN24LA322
Reported as
Piper PA-32-260
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
90 total4 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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.

During a landing the PIC reported flaring too much causing a bounce. After the bounce the PIC applied power to initiate a go around. After applying power the nose of the aircraft came down, bounced again and the PIC hit his head. The aircraft became airborne again, veered to the left leaving the airport property before crossing a road and impacting trees. The aircraft came to rest with substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings torn off. Engine data recovered from the garmin G3X showed the engine RPM was increased from 980 RPM to 2660 RPM where it remained until impact.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A LANDING THE PIC REPORTED FLARING TOO MUCH CAUSING A BOUNCE. AFTER THE BOUNCE THE PIC APPLIED POWER TO INITIATE A GO AROUND. AFTER APPLYING POWER THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN, BOUNCED AGAIN AND THE PIC HIT HIS HEAD. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN, VEERED TO THE LEFT LEAVING THE AIRPORT PROPERTY BEFORE CROSSING A ROAD AND IMPACTING TREES. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND BOTH WINGS TORN OFF. ENGINE DATA RECOVERED FROM THE GARMIN G3X SHOWED THE ENGINE RPM WAS INCREASED FROM 980 RPM TO 2660 RPM WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL IMPACT.

NTSB investigation

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