- Date
- June 4, 2012, 12:17 local (16:17 UTC)
- Place
- Put-in-Bay, OH
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2434MPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20120604010469A
- Case key
- 83863
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 failure to attain a proper touchdown point at the proper speed, his failure to initiate a go-around, and the airplane’s inadequate climb gradient after the aborted landing, which resulted in impact with the trees.
Findings · 4
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 airplane touched down too far down the runway at a high rate of speed and began to porpoise. The pilot aborted the landing, and during the climb, which was too shallow, the airplane's left wing struck trees near the departure end of the runway and was substantially damaged. The airplane returned to the airport and landed without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation
Factual narrative
On June 4, 2012, at 1217 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N2434M, was substantially damaged when it struck a tree during climbout from an aborted landing at Put-in-Bay Airport (3W2), Put-in-Bay, Ohio. The pilot returned to the airport and landed without further incident. The private pilot and three passengers were uninjured. The airplane was registered to and operated by Bluffton Sky Pirates, Inc., under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed for the flight that departed from Bluffton Airport (5G7), Bluffton, Ohio, about 1030, and was destined for 3W2. According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the airplane touched down too far down runway 3 (2,870 feet by 75 feet, asphalt), at a fast speed, and began to porpoise. The pilot then performed an aborted landing. During climbout, the airplane's left wing sustained damage to the left wing rib when it struck trees at the departure end of the runway. No other anomalies were found with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2434M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7890251
- Airframe hours
- 6,142
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Bluffton Sky Pirates Inc
- Registered owner
- Bluffton Sky Pirates Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2011
- Departed
- 5G7 · Bluffton, OH
- Destination
- 3W2 · Put-in-Bay, OH
- Airport
- 3W2 · Put in Bay Airport, runway 03, 2,870 × 75 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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,188 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,062 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Observed at
- PCW, 7 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 12, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 715 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.