- Date
- May 8, 2010, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carrollton, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9231PPiper PA-24-260B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 12, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100508055749A
- Case key
- 76003
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 improper touchdown point during landing. Contributing to the accident was the certificated flight instructor's lack of remedial action.
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.
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 pilot had just purchased a share in the airplane and was receiving a checkout with a certified flight instructor for insurance purposes. While practicing a landing with a simulated engine failure, the airplane landed about 90 feet short of the runway pavement. As the airplane proceeded forward, the nosewheel struck the runway edge, collapsing the nose gear. The pilot initiated a go-around and, on the second landing attempt and with no nosewheel, the airplane skidded to a stop, substantially damaging the engine firewall. The pilot reported there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. According to the pilot the firewall damage was likely sustained as the landing gear crossed the edge of the runway pavement. The pilot also noted that the majority of his flight experience has been in high-wing aircraft, where it is easier to see the main gear and runway.
Factual narrative
The pilot had just purchased a one-third share in the airplane, and was receiving a "checkout" with a certified flight instructor for insurance purposes. While practicing a landing on runway 35 with a simulated engine failure, the airplane landed 88 feet short of the runway pavement. As the airplane proceeded forward, the nose wheel struck the runway edge, collapsing the nose gear. The pilot initiated a go-around and on the second landing attempt, with no nose wheel, the airplane skidded to a stop, substantially damaging the engine firewall. The pilot reported there were no mechanical problems with the airplane. According to the pilot, "it is likely; the damage to the aircraft was sustained during the simulated engine out landing as the landing gear crossed the edge of the runway pavement. A decision to execute our go around once we knew our simulated engine out landing was assured would have been advisable. Also, aiming for a landing point further down the runway as opposed to the end of the runway would have prevented this accident. Although I have logged a considerable amount of flying hours, the greatest majority of it has been in a Cessna 210 and other high wing aircraft where it is visually easy to see the main gear and runway. My lack of low wing aircraft time and visual landing perspective in these aircraft are most likely a factor as well."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9231P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4729
- Airframe hours
- 7,192
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 10, 2009 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- CTJ · Carrollton, GA
- Destination
- CTJ · Carrollton, GA
- Airport
- CTJ · West Georgia Regional Airport, runway 35, 5,503 × 100 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 21, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,157 total · 3 in this make and model · 3,052 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,153 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- CTJ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 1, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 485 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.