- Date
- December 13, 2006, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Waterloo, IA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20DLPiper PA-31T1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20061213028589A
- Case key
- 65099
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 go-around not performed and the improper flare by the pilot during 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 made a hard landing during a visual approach. The pilot reported he applied engine power to soften the landing and the left engine "spooled up faster" than the right engine, which veered the airplane to the right. The pilot then reduced engine power again in order "to maintain control of the airplane." He stated that the airplane was still not aligned with the runway when it impacted the ground.
Factual narrative
On December 13, 2006, at 0800 central standard time, a Piper PA-31T1, N20DL, received substantial damage on impact with terrain during a hard landing on runway 18 (6,002 feet by 129 feet, asphalt) at Waterloo Municipal Airport (ALO), Waterloo, Iowa. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 business flight was operating on an instrument rules flight plan. The commercial pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The flight departed from Ankeny Regional Airport, Ankeny, Iowa, at 0730 and was en route to ALO.
The pilot reported that he was vectored by air traffic control for the VOR 18 approach at ALO. He was able to make a visual approach to the runway after seeing it approximately two to three miles from the approach end of the runway. When the airplane neared the runway, the pilot applied landing flaps and reduced the engine power. During the flare, he applied engine power to soften the landing. The left engine "spooled up faster" than the right engine, which veered the airplane to the right. The pilot then reduced engine power again in order "to maintain control of the airplane." He stated that the airplane was still not aligned with the runway when it impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20DL
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31T1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31T-8004045
- Airframe hours
- 7,112
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PTGA-11, 500 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitney Canada PTGA-11, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Central Iowa Energy Cooperative
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · December 1, 2006
- Departed
- IKV · Ankeny, IA
- Destination
- ALO · Waterloo, IA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ALO · Waterloo Regional Airport, runway 18, 6,002 × 150 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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,440 total · 110 in this make and model · 3,240 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- ALO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.