- Date
- February 1, 2006, 09:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Burlington, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3581CPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FSDO 05 Greensboro
- FAA report
- 20060201000889A
- Case key
- 63181
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's misjudgment of altitude/distance which resulted in an undershoot of the runway and subsequent impact with the runway collapsing the main landing gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he entered a left downwind for runway 06 and extended his downwind due to another airplane being on left base for the same runway. He turned final and made several s-turns while waiting on the other airplane to clear the runway. Once the other airplane cleared the runway the pilot stated, "I lined up with the runway 06 and flared to land. My main landing gear struck the end of the pavement and sheared the left main gear." The pilot did not report any mechanical problems before the accident.
Factual narrative
On February 1, 2006, at 0940 eastern standard time a Piper PA-31-350, N3581C, registered to and operated by Labcorp, Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 corporate flight, collapsed the left main landing gear during landing at the Burlington-Alamance Regional Airport, Burlington, North Carolina. The airplane received substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight plan was filed. The Airline Transport Pilot was not injured. The flight originated from Manassas Regional Davis Airport, Manassas, Virginia on February 1, 2006, at 0840.
The pilot stated he entered a left downwind for runway 06 and extended his downwind due to another airplane being on left base for the same runway. He turned final and made several s-turns while waiting on the other airplane to clear the runway. Once the other airplane cleared the runway the pilot stated, "I lined up with the runway 06 and flared to land. My main landing gear struck the end of the pavement and sheared the left main gear." The pilot did not report any mechanical problems before the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3581C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8052091
- Airframe hours
- 23,432.4
- Engines
- Lycoming TIO-540-J28D, 350 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TIO-540-J28D, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Labcorp
- Registered owner
- LabCorp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2005 · 76 hours before
- Departed
- KHEF · Manassas, VA
- Destination
- KBUY · Burlington, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KBUY · Burlington-Alamance Regional, runway 06, 5,000 × 120 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,360 total · 6,000 in this make and model · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KBUY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.