# NTSB ERA14CA406: Piper PA 34-200T, N178SB, Gainesville, FL, August 11, 2014 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: August 11, 2014, 13:52 local (17:52 UTC) - Place: Gainesville, FL - Coordinates: 29.687221, -82.269721 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6872&lon=-82.2697&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 13, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 89953 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA14CA406 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/89953/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89953 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14CA406 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-34-200T, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=7103406), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: landing flare](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-34-200T, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=7103406), [All aircraft, 1,285 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-34-200T, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=7103406), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090); cases with it: [Piper PA-34-200T, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md?model=7103406), [All aircraft, 1,506 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/090/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, due to thunderstorms along his route of flight he elected to divert to a nearby airport. During landing, the aircraft nose landing gear contacted the runway and the airplane "bounced," which resulted in substantial damage to the forward bulkhead and the windshield center post. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot had originally been cleared for an approach to one runway and subsequently performed a go-around due to being above a "normal" glidepath. The flight was then cleared to land on a crossing runway, at the tower controlled airport, entered final for the crossing runway, and upon landing the airplane porposied three times before coming to rest. According to the pilot, there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative According to the pilot, due to thunderstorms along his route of flight he elected to divert to a nearby airport. During landing, the aircraft nose landing gear contacted the runway and the airplane "bounced," which resulted in substantial damage to the forward bulkhead and the windshield center post. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot had originally been cleared for an approach to one runway and subsequently performed a go-around due to being above a "normal" glidepath. The flight was then cleared to land on a crossing runway, at the tower controlled airport, entered final for the crossing runway, and upon landing the airplane porposied three times before coming to rest. According to the pilot, there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N178SB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N178SB-2018-03-12), registration cancelled 2018-03-12, S/N 34-7870206 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA 34-200T (220T) - Registry model: [Piper PA-34-200T](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200t) (registry code 7103406) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental TSIO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (registry code 17019, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 34-7870206 - Year built: 1978 - Airframe hours: 5700 - Engines: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360-EB1A 200 horsepower reciprocating; CONT MOTOR LTSIO-360-EB1 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, November 20, 2013, 41 hours before - Departed: DTS, Destin, FL - Destination: FMY, Ft. Myers, FL - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: GNV, Gainesville Rgnl, runway 11, 7,504 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system, Onboard weather ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 64; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; last flight review May 6, 2013; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,697.8 total, 655 in this make and model, 1,445.1 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 4 knots - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 30.02 inHg - Observed at: KGNV ## 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 20140811018609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140811018609A), Aug 11, 2014: Piper PA-34-200T, Gainsville, FL, Substantial damage. Pilot was on a IFR flight plan from dts to his home base fmy when weather began to deteriorate along his planned route. He canceled his IFR flight plan and… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=89953. 4.7 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 434 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418431&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Pilot Written Statement to FAA (item 2, .PDF, 27 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418432&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Written%20Statement%20to%20FAA-Redacted.PDF - Memorandum of Record - FAA Inspector Statement, Excerpts (item 3, .PDF, 109 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418433&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20of%20Record%20-%20FAA%20Inspector%20Statement,%20Excerpts-Master.PDF - Memorandum of Record - Gainesville Weather (item 4, .PDF, 124 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418434&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20of%20Record%20-%20Gainesville%20Weather-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - Airplane - Post Recovery (Photo Courtesy of FAA) (item 5, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418435&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Airplane%20-%20Post%20Recovery%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Windshield Damage (Photo Courtesy of FAA) (item 6, .PDF, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40418436&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Windshield%20Damage%20(Photo%20Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; 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.