CEN12LA337

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-28-181 · Put-in-Bay, OH · June 4, 2012

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
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.

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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.

Performance/control parametersAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-181: 4 casesAll aircraft: 1,269 casesProbable cause
Action: lack of actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · PilotPiper PA-28-181: 11 casesAll aircraft: 792 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: descent/approach/glide pathAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-181: 6 casesAll aircraft: 809 casesProbable cause
Aircraft capability: climb capabilityAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-181: 1 caseAll aircraft: 183 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 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.