- Date
- December 29, 2008, 11:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Valparaiso, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3331RPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-South Bend FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081229856129A
- Case key
- 73486
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 improper flare during landing, resulting in a bounced landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was returning from a local flight and he reported that during the landing on runway 27, the airplane touched down, ballooned, and became airborne again. He stated that the airplane then came down hard on the main landing gear first, followed by the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a stop. Subsequent examination of the airplane confirmed damage to the wing main spar.
Factual narrative
The pilot was returning from a local flight and he reported that during the landing on runway 27, the airplane touched down and then ballooned and became airborne again. He stated that the airplane then came down hard on the main landing gear first followed by the nose landing gear. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to a stop. Subsequent examination of the airplane confirmed damage to the wing main spar.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3331R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-5661
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John L. Deaner
- Registered owner
- Single Wingers Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Destination
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Airport
- VPZ · Porter County Municipal Airpor, runway 27, 7,001 × 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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 255 total · 62 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 17 knots, gusting 23
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 44 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3331R · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.