- Date
- March 8, 2024, 09:46 local (14:46 UTC)
- Place
- Allentown, PA · Runway 6
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3023KPiper PA-28RT-201
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- 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
- 20240308002149A
- Case key
- 193899
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 failure to maintain a proper descent rate during the final approach, resulting in a hard landing and collision with a runway edge light.
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 he was on short final approach for landing when he encountered a windshear. The airplane started to sink toward the runway. He added power; however, it was too late due to his altitude. Upon touchdown, the airplane landed hard, breaking two runway threshold lights from their mounts . An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the airport surface weather observations revealed no reports of wind gusts or variable wind before or after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3023K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7918022
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 5,815
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 200 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 26, 2024 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- CDW · Caldwell, NJ
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- ABE · Lehigh Valley International, runway 6, 7,599 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 11, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 915 total · 96 in this make and model · 736 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- KABE
- METAR
- KABE 081451Z 08010KT 10SM CLR 07/M01 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP264 T00721006 50009
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.
Other investigations on N3023K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.