# NTSB ERA22LA285: Piper PA-28-140, N6599W, Manassas, VA, June 22, 2022

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: June 22, 2022, 10:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place: Manassas, VA · On airport
- Coordinates: 38.721023, -77.515101
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7210&lon=-77.5151&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: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 105336
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA22LA285
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105336/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105336
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA285

## Probable cause

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent nose landing gear collapse.

## 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-28-140, 103 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=7102802), [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-28-140, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062041/cases.md?model=7102802), [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-28-140, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-140, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md?model=7102802), [All aircraft, 1,787 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The student pilot was landing the airplane and during the landing flare the airplane bounced twice before the nose landing gear collapsed. This resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage aft of the firewall. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N6599W](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6599W-2023-11-18), registration cancelled 2023-11-18, S/N 28-20690, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Registry model: [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (registry code 7102802) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28-20690
- Year built: 1965
- Airframe hours: 4603
- Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2A 150 hp reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Commonwealth Aviation
- Registered owner: N6599w LLC
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, May 20, 2022
- Destination: Same as departure
- Airport: HEF, Manassas Rgnl/Harry P Davis Fld, runway 34L, 6,200 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: ADS-B

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 26; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 23.7 total, 23.7 in this make and model, 2.4 as pilot in command, 23.7 in the last 90 days, 11.3 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter: 29.74 inHg
- Observed at: KHEF
- METAR: METAR KHEF 211456Z 21004KT 10SM CLR 31/25 A2974

## 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 20220622010939A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220622010939A), Jun 22, 2022: Piper PA-28-140, Manassas, VA, Substantial damage. On 06/22/2022, at approximately 1038HRS EDT, upon landing on runway 16L at khef, the aircraft bounced off of the landing gear, recovered, then bounced a second…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105336. 2.7 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14201175&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Signed_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- NTSB summary of email - pilot statement to FAA (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 179 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14201371&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Summary%20of%20E-Mail%20re%20Pilot%20Statement%20to%20FAA-Rel.pdf
- Investigation photos (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 3 photos, 628 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14201185&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photos-Rel.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.