# NTSB ATL99LA058: Piper PA-34-200T, N5423F, St.Petersburg, FL, March 20, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 20, 1999, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: St.Petersburg, FL - Location: 27.9086° N, 82.6865° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ST PETE-CLEARWATER INTL (PIE), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9086&lon=-82.6865&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 25, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 45931 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL99LA058 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/45931/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA058 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper landing flare that resulted in a hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot reported that the flight was cleared for a visual approach and landing on runway 09 at destination. During the touchdown phase of the landing, the aircraft bounced. The pilot recovered from the bounce and taxied to the parking ramp. The pilot noticed that the right propeller and right landing gear was damaged. Also there were wrinkles in the fuselage and the right wing assembly. The pilot reported that all was normal on the approach and that he thinks he may have flared to high. ## Factual narrative On March 20, 1999, at 1500 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N5423F, collided with the ground during a landing at the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport in Tampa, Florida. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial airframe damage. The flight departed Newnan-Coweta County Airport, in Newnan, Georgia, at 1200. The pilot reported that the flight was cleared for a visual approach and landing on runway 09 at St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport. During the touchdown phase of the landing, the aircraft bounced. The pilot recovered from the bounce and taxied to the parking ramp. During the pilot's post-landing walk-around inspection of the airplane, the pilot noticed that the right propeller and right landing gear had been was damaged. Also, there were wrinkles in the fuselage and the right wing assembly. The partial tear down of the right wing revealed that there was substantial damage to the ribs throughout the right wing. There was also major distortion and a separation/splitting of the aft wing spar, aft of the main landing gear. The wing was determined to be non repairable by technicians at National Aviation maintenance facility. The pilot reported that the approach profile was normal and there were no mechanical problems with the plane. The pilot also reported that he may have flared too high for touchdown. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5423F](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5423F), registered now, S/N 34-7770018 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-34-200T - Registry model: [Piper PA-34-200T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (registry code 7103406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 34-7770018 - Airframe hours: 5580 - Engines: Continental TSIO-360EB 200 horsepower turbo prop - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Armand M. Karow - Registered owner: James Mcmakin/Mcair Aviation - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, October 1, 1998, 16 hours before - Departed: CCO, NEWNAN, GA - Destination: PIE - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: PIE, St Petersburg/Clearwater, runway 9, 5,165 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 57; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 866 total, 64 in this make and model, 688 as pilot in command, 9 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: PIE ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19990320015329A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990320015329A), Mar 20, 1999: Piper PA34200T, St Petersburg-C, FL, Substantial damage. (.19)On March 20, 1999, at 1500 eastern standrad time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N5423F, collided with the ground during a landing at the st. Petersburg/Clearwater… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.