# NTSB CHI03LA085: Piper PA-34-200T, N930DE, West Chicago, IL, March 19, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 18, 2003, 20:10 local (Mar 19, 2003, 02:10 UTC) - Place: West Chicago, IL - Coordinates: 41.907775, -88.248611 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9078&lon=-88.2486&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA-DuPage FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 56651 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI03LA085 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56651/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI03LA085 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper flare resulting in a hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare - improper, pilot in command (cause) - Nose gear collapsed, landing ## Analysis The airplane sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at night. The pilot reported, "Because it was windy I flew at 100 kt on final, and on touchdown I felt that the nose was too low. I pulled back on the elevator and the nose came up, and then I lowered the nose again and again it was too low. I stopped the engines with the mixture and the plane stopped, nose down." Inspection of the airplane revealed that the nose gear was collapsed. The nose gear support tube was pushed vertically up through the top of the airframe about 6 inches. The center windshield airframe post was pushed up, and the left and right windshields were separated from the cockpit's windshield frame. All three blade tips on both propellers were bent aft and exhibited chordwise gouging and scraping. ## Factual narrative On March 18, 2003, at 2010 central standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N930DE, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on runway 2R (5,100 feet by 100 feet, concrete) at DuPage Airport (DPA), West Chicago, Illinois. The Title 14 CFR Part 91 repositioning flight departed Midway Airport (MDW), Chicago, Illinois, at 1950 en route to DPA. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed. The pilot reported he landed at Midway to check the weather. He reported, "I flew on to Dupage on VFR, and was told to land on 2R. Because it was windy I flew at 100 kt on final, and on touchdown I felt that the nose was too low. I pulled back on the elevator and the nose came up, and then I lowered the nose again and again it was too low. I stopped the engines with the mixture and the plane stopped, nose down." Inspection of the airplane revealed that the nose gear was collapsed. The nose gear support tube was pushed vertically up through the top of the airframe about 6 inches. The center windshield airframe post was pushed up, and the left and right windshields were separated from the cockpit's windshield frame. All three blade tips on both propellers were bent aft and exhibited chordwise gouging and scraping. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N930DE](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N930DE-2003-10-27), registration cancelled 2003-10-27, S/N 348070176, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-34-200T - Registry model: [Piper PA-34-200T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (registry code 7103406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 348070176 - Engines: Continental TSIO-360-E 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Positioning, Part 91 - Registered owner: DE Transport - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: MDW, Chicago, IL - Destination: DPA, West Chicago, IL - Airport: DPA, DuPage Airport, runway 2R, 5,100 × 100 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine sea, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, unknown; last flight review July 24, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 2,920 total, 85 in this make and model, 2,674 as pilot in command, 64 in the last 90 days, 40 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night - Wind: 50° at 17 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,400 ft overcast - Temperature: 43 °F, dew point 37 °F - Altimeter: 29.87 inHg - Observed at: DPA ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20030318005709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030318005709A), Mar 18, 2003: Piper PA34200T, Chicago/West Ch, IL, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot ferried the aircraft from israel to the united states with an expired special ferry permit (expired July 14, 2002) for long range fuel tanks. Upon… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.