ATL07CA118

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA28-140 · Front Royal, VA · August 15, 2007

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
August 15, 2007, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
Place
Front Royal, VA
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N6455RPiper PA28-140
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 31, 2007
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
Washington Dulles FSDO
FAA report
20070815022549A
Case key
66485

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing.

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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Recovery from bounced landing - improperPilot in commandCause
Landing gear,nose gear - collapsed

Analysis

According to the pilot, he "entered the 45 made call traffic for landing runway 27. Went through the checklist, called downwind at 1000 feet agl. Began descent and put in one notch of flaps. Called base and put in second notch of flaps. Called final was higher than I wanted and put in full flaps. Came down to the runway with a bit of ground effect lift. Pulled back and [the air]plane settled down on the runway. Nose bounced a couple of quick times and came off of the runway. Began to oscillate in bigger bounces. Third time nosed over into the runway folding the front nose gear under the airplane and prop ground into the pavement. Plane skidded forward and off to the left where it hit a light and slid off the runway." The pilot further stated that "I should have reacted faster on the first or second hop and hit the throttle, I could have recovered and gone around."

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, he "entered the 45 made call traffic for landing runway 27. Went through the checklist, called downwind at 1000 feet agl. Began descent and put in one notch of flaps. Called base and put in second notch of flaps. Called final was higher than I wanted and put in full flaps. Came down to the runway with a bit of ground effect lift. Pulled back and [the air]plane settled down on the runway. Nose bounced a couple of quick times and came off of the runway. Began to oscillate in bigger bounces. Third time nosed over into the runway folding the front nose gear under the airplane and prop ground into the pavement. Plane skidded forward and off to the left where it hit a light and slid off the runway." The pilot further stated that "I should have reacted faster on the first or second hop and hit the throttle, I could have recovered and gone around." According to the pilot, damage to the airplane consisted of the front strut, prop, firewall, and right wing.

Aircraft

Registration
N6455R
Reported as
Piper PA28-140
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-21641
Airframe hours
6,781
Engine
Lycoming AE-IO-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 91
Operator
James Allen Winget
Registered owner
James Allen Winget
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · June 1, 2007 · 9 hours before
Departed
FKN · Franklin, VA
Destination
FRR · Front Royal, VA
Airport
KFRR · Front Royal-Warren County Airp, runway 27, 3,007 × 75 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
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
August 1, 2007
Seat
Left
Flight hours
153 total · 146 in this make and model · 84 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
0° at 0 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
86 °F, dew point 61 °F
Altimeter
29.95 inHg
Observed at
CJR

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.