ERA11LA386

The pilot performed a steep descent while on approach, and the airplane touched down on the runway and bounced. The left landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, where it struck a taxiway sign and sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and both wings. When interviewed after the accident, the pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical malfunctions. However, he subsequently reported that the engine did not respond to a throttle control input after the airplane bounced and that he was not certain whether he experienced any mechanical malfunctions. Examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact malfunctions. The airplane had been operated for about 20 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed about 4 months prior to the accident.

On July 2, 2011, about 1430 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301, N8319N, operated by a private pilot, was substantially damaged while landing at Bowman Field Airport (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky. The certificated private pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The airplane was on approach to runway 24, a 4,326-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt, runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that the airplane was high and he utilized a steep descent to approach the runway. The airplane touched down on the runway, and bounced. The left landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, where it struck a taxiway sign, and sustained substantial damage to its fuselage and both wings. The pilot did not report experiencing any mechanical malfunctions when interviewed by an FAA inspector after the accident. In a written statement, he subsequently reported that he performed a rapid turn and descent to the runway after the airplane was cleared for a left base to final approach. The pilot further stated that the engine did not respond to a throttle control input after the airplane bounced, and he was not certain if he experienced any mechanical malfunctions. The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming IO-540 series, 300-horsepower engine. Subsequent examination of the airframe and engine by an FAA inspector did not reveal any mechanical abnormalities. The engine was rotated by hand via the propeller, which remained attached and displayed curled tips on both blades. Thumb compression was attained on all cylinders and spark was observed at all spark plug ignition leads. Examination of the throttle and mixture controls did not reveal any discrepancies, and fuel flow was observed from all fuel injector lines when the boost pump was activated. The airplane had been operated for about 20 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed on February 24, 2011. The pilot reported 3,800 hours of total flight experience, which included 3,600 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.