- Date
- December 2, 2014, 13:06 local (18:06 UTC)
- Place
- Wachula, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N933TKPiper PA-46-310P
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20141202022129A
- Case key
- 90451
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 recovery from a bounced landing during gusty crosswind conditions.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, he flew the traffic pattern to a touchdown zone landing on runway centerline. However, after touching down, the airplane "floated back up," then touched down again "with authority." It bounced again, then "weather vaned some," and the pilot became concerned that the airplane was "chewing up runway." The airplane then touched down a third time, but the pilot did not pull back on the yoke. He subsequently heard the propeller strike the runway, the airplane then veered off the right side of the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the engine mounts broke. The pilot indicated that there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Nearest recorded weather included winds that were about 90 degrees from the right of the runway, at 10, gusting to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he flew the traffic pattern to a touchdown zone landing on runway centerline. However, after touching down, the airplane "floated back up," then touched down again "with authority." It bounced again, then "weather vaned some," and the pilot became concerned that the airplane was "chewing up runway." The airplane then touched down a third time, but the pilot did not pull back on the yoke. He subsequently heard the propeller strike the runway, the airplane then veered off the right side of the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the engine mounts broke. The pilot indicated that there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Nearest recorded weather included winds that were about 90 degrees from the right of the runway, at 10, gusting to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N933TK
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-310P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4608029
- Built
- 1986
- Airframe hours
- 3,240
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-520 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Jupiter Malibu, LLC
- Registered owner
- Jupiter Malibu, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 3, 2014
- Departed
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Destination
- CHN · Wachula, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- CHN · Wauchula Muni, runway 36, 4,005 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 692 total · 74 in this make and model · 556 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL, 28 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 23, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB 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.