- Date
- August 28, 2005, 16:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ypsilanti, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8103VPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Belleville, MI FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050828024769A
- Case key
- 62430
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 maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in his inability to properly flare the airplane and the subsequent hard landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane experienced a hard landing while landing on a private grass airstrip. The pilot reported, "... we crossed the electric wires and as soon as we were across we made a slight dip in flight to get down... ." He reported he then pulled back on the control yoke to flare and added power to increase the pitch attitude; however, the engine power did not increase. The pilot reported the airplane "...made a very hard landing" during which the left main and nose gear collapsed. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures/malfunctions of the airplane.
Factual narrative
On August 28, 2005, at 1600 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N8103V, experienced a hard landing on runway 18 (2,000 feet by 50 feet, grass) on a private airstrip in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight originated from Adrian, Michigan, at 1540.
The pilot reported, "... we crossed the electric wires and as soon as we were across we made a slight dip in flight to get down... ." He reported he then pulled back on the control yoke to flare and added power to increase the pitch attitude; however, the engine power did not increase. The pilot reported the airplane "...made a very hard landing" during which the left main and nose gears collapsed.
The pilot reported on the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8103V
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8090118
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Winford French
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- ADG · Adrian, MI
- Destination
- PVT · Ypsilanti, MI
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- YIP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.