CEN10LA303

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28R-180 · Kingfisher, OK · June 6, 2010

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
June 6, 2010, 09:30 local (14:30 UTC)
Place
Kingfisher, OK
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N7559JPiper PA-28R-180
Defining event
Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report December 20, 2010
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Central Region
Parties
FAA Flight Standards District Office
FAA report
20100606005249A
Case key
76230

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 inadequate airspeed while landing, which led to an aerodynamic stall and a hard landing.

Findings · 3

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.

Temp/humidity/pressure: high density altitudeEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcomePiper PA-28R-180: 2 casesAll aircraft: 278 cases
Performance/control parameters: airspeedAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Incorrect use/operationPiper PA-28R-180: 5 casesAll aircraft: 1,681 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/infoPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA-28R-180: 2 casesAll aircraft: 111 casesProbable cause

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 said that this was his second landing on the grass strip that day. The winds were gusty and there was a slight crosswind. He turned onto final approach at 80 knots indicated airspeed with the landing gear down and flaps fully extended. He descended to the round out (flare), but the airplane "floated." He lowered the nose to allow the airplane to settle and he heard the stall warning horn intermittently. He applied full throttle and the engine responded but the airplane continued to descend. The airplane landed "hard." The left wing struck the ground, the airplane bounced, and then the right wing struck the ground. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop. The pilot said that he didn't take into consideration the density altitude and that if he had maintained a higher landing speed the airplane would not have stalled. An examination of the airplane revealed no preexisting anomalies.

Factual narrative

On June 6, 2010, approximately 0930 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-180, N7559J, registered to and operated by the pilot, was substantially damaged when the nose landing gear collapsed on landing at Kingfisher Airport (F92), Kingfisher, Oklahoma. Visual meteorological conditions VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane were not injured. The local flight originated approximately 0915 from F92. The following is based on the pilot's accident report and what he told FAA inspectors. The pilot said this was his second landing on the grass strip that day. The winds were gusty and there was a slight crosswind. He turned onto final approach at 80 KIAS (knots indicated airspeed) with the landing gear down and flaps fully extended. He descended to the round out (flare), but the airplane "floated." He lowered the nose to allow the airplane to settle and he heard the stall warning horn intermittently. He applied full throttle and the engine responded but the airplane continued to descend. The airplane landed "hard." The left wing struck the ground, the airplane bounced, and then the right wing struck the ground. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop. The pilot said he didn't take into consideration the density altitude when he prepared for his second landing. He said if he had maintained a higher landing speed, the airplane would not have stalled. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.

Aircraft

Registration
N7559J
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-180
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28R-30937
Airframe hours
4,404
Engine
Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Edward L. Hale
Registered owner
Edward L. Hale
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · May 26, 2010 · 1 hours before
Departed
F92 · Kingfisher, OK
Destination
F92 · Kingfisher, OK
Airport
F92 · Kingfisher, runway 35, 2,580 × 375 ft, grass/turf

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
46
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
May 4, 2010
Seat
Left
Flight hours
129 total · 62 in this make and model · 83 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
70° at 11 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
15,000 ft broken
Temperature
82 °F, dew point 72 °F
Altimeter
30.02 inHg
Observed at
OKC, 140 nm away

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 179 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.