- Date
- March 18, 2022, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Carlisle, PA
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4468XPiper PA-32
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220318003919A
- Case key
- 104962
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 landing flare, which resulted in the airplane’s empennage impacting the runway surface during landing.
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
The pilot reported that while in the landing flare, about 5 to 7 ft above ground level, the airplane “suddenly dropped” to the ground and the airplane’s tail struck the runway. The pilot then taxied the airplane to parking uneventfully. During a subsequent inspection of the airplane, the pilot and a mechanic found that the airplane’s empennage had sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4468X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32 (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7640024
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 4,937
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 21, 2021
- Departed
- HGR · Hagerstown, MD
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- N94 · Carlisle Airport, runway 10, 4,008 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 8, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 75 total · 32 in this make and model · 44 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 140° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- CXY, 15 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KCXY 182356Z 14013G20KT 10SM BKN070 21/10 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP127 T02060100 10256 20206 58003=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.