# NTSB DFW07LA021: Piper PA32-301XTC, N506C, San Marcos, TX, October 31, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: October 31, 2006, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC) - Place: San Marcos, TX - Coordinates: 29.892778, -97.863052 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.8928&lon=-97.8631&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 26, 2007 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: The New Piper Aircraft Inc,, Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 64836 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DFW07LA021 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/64836/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW07LA021 ## Probable cause The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. ## Analysis While landing on Runway 26, a 6,330-foot long, by 100-foot wide asphalt runway, the single-engine airplane bounced and started to porpoise. Each successive bounce got higher in altitude until ultimately the airplane's nose landing gear collapsed and the propeller impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest in the upright position and the 735-hour private pilot and his passenger were able to exit the airplane unassisted. There was no fire. During the post-accident investigation, the rudder pedals were functionally checked and continuity was established from the rudder pedals to the steering rods and rudder. No pre- impact anomalies were noted with the airplane's flight controls, nose landing gear, or steering mechanism. The wind at the time of the accident was reportedly from 250 degrees at 6 knots. ## Factual narrative On October 31, 2006, about 1400 central standard time, a Piper PA32-301XTC single-engine airplane, N506C, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the San Marcos Municipal Airport (HYI), near San Marcos, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to a private corporation and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The 303-nautical mile cross-country flight originated from the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB), near Lubbock, Texas, at 1200. According to the 735-hour pilot, while landing on Runway 26 (a 6,330-foot long by 100-foot wide asphalt runway), everything appeared "normal" until the nose landing gear touched down to the runway. The pilot reported that when the nose landing gear contacted the runway "it felt like I had hit something" and the airplane bounced back into the air. The airplane came down on the main landing gear a "couple more times" before the pilot added a "small amount" of engine power in order to "have more control of the airplane." The pilot continued that when the nose landing gear finally settled to the runway due to the loss of airspeed, the airplane's nose went straight to the ground onto the propeller. The pilot further reported that for the past year the nose landing gear had a tendency to be off center when landing. The pilot added that this would require him to make an immediate steering correction when the nose landing gear would touch down. After progressively getting worse, the pilot had "mechanics" examine the nose landing gear. According to the pilot, the mechanics did not find anything wrong; however, the problem continued. An eyewitness, who reported to be a pilot on the airport ramp, observed the airplane's landing mishap. According to the witness, "upon touchdown, the aircraft began to porpoise down the runway, approximately six times, with increasing height at each bounce. The last bounce resulted in the aircraft descending from a height of what appeared to me to be approximately six feet, and striking the propeller and collapsing the nose gear." A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and a representative from The New Piper Aircraft Company examined the airplane. The examination revealed that the engine firewall and lower fuselage skin had sustained structural damage. The nose gear was found broken and bent aft. The nose gear centering springs were found attached in their respective positions. The rudder pedals were functionally checked and continuity was established from the rudder pedals to the steering rods and rudder. According to the FAA inspector and the Piper representative, no pre-impact anomalies were noted during the examination with the airplane's flight controls, nose landing gear assembly or steering mechanism. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident the wind was from 250 degrees at 6 knots. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (cause) - Nose gear collapsed, landing ## Aircraft - Registration: [N506C](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N506C), registered now, S/N 3255015, built 2004 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA32-301XTC - Registry model: [Piper PA32-301XTC](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa32-301xtc) (registry code 7103301) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TIO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-tio-540-series) (registry code 41569, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 3255015 - Airframe hours: 363 - Engines: Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Donald L Curry, doing business as Curry & Associates, Inc. - Registered owner: Dlctxatty LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2006 - Departed: LBB, LUBBOCK, TX - Destination: HYI, SAN MARCOS, TX - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: HYI, San Marcos Muni, runway 26, 6,330 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review June 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 735 total, 258 in this make and model, 29 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none ## 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 20061031022989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20061031022989A), Oct 31, 2006: Piper PA32301XTC, San Marcos, TX, Substantial damage. (-23) On October 31, 2006, the private pilot of a Piper aircraft model PA-32-301, N506C, experienced some difficulty, while landing at hyi at San Marcos. The… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date; 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.