- Date
- February 5, 2011, 18:10 local (Feb 6, 2011, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Bogalusa, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N80311Piper PA-34-220T
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20110205001949A
- Case key
- 78473
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 inadequate flare after encountering a gust of wind on 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.
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 reported that he encountered a gust of wind while attempting to land his twin-engine airplane and subsequently landed hard on the right main landing gear. Examination of the airplane revealed the inboard section of the right wing sustained substantial damage, the landing gear was damaged, and all three blades on the right propeller were curled aft. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the airplane or engine.
Factual narrative
The pilot encountered a gust of wind while attempting to land his twin engine airplane and subsequently landed hard on the right main landing gear. Examination of the airplane revealed the inboard section of the right wing sustained substantial damage, the landing gear was damaged, and all three blades on the right propeller were curled aft. The pilot reported that there were no premishap mechanical malfunctions with the airplane and engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80311
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-220T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-8233056
- Engines
- Cont Motor TSI0-470-B, 260 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor TSI0-470-B, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sepights Charles R
- Registered owner
- Sepights Charles R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- AUS · Austin, TX
- Destination
- BXA · Bogalusa, LA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- BXA · Bogalusa, runway 36
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,021 total · 451 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 14, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 535 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.