- Date
- September 4, 1985, 02:25 local (06:25 UTC)
- Place
- Norfolk, VA
- Injuries
- 7 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N27902Piper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850904077809A
- Case key
- 11143
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft experienced a complete gear collapse after contacting a rwy light and a taxiway sign during a landing roll. Theflt departed la guardia arpt 230 lbs over the 7000 pld max gross weight of the acft and at least 1 inch aft of the center of gravity limit. During the one hour and thirty five minute flt to Norfolk, VA, the 60 gallon of fuel used decreased the weight of the acft to 6870 bls, however, the computed CG was still 1/2 inch aft of the limit. This was reconfirmed by the plt's statement that he would have been able to respond to the acft veering to the right in a quicker manner if the nose wheel had been able to be lowered to the pavement sooner to aid with nose wheel steering.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27902
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-7952037
- Airframe hours
- 2,246
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Michael J. Russo
- Registered owner
- Northeastern Aviation Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 28, 1985 · 19 hours before
- Departed
- LGA · New York City, NY
- Destination
- ORF · Norfolk, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ORF · Norfolk International, runway 23, 9,000 × 150 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 700 in this make and model · 5,350 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 0RF, 27 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.