# NTSB FTW02LA181: Piper PA-32-260, N675MP, Pecos, TX, June 17, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 16, 2002, 22:30 local (Jun 17, 2002, 03:30 UTC) - Place: Pecos, TX - Coordinates: 31.382223, -103.510559 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.3822&lon=-103.5106&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 5 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 54962 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW02LA181 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/54962/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54962 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA181 ## Probable cause The pilot misjudged the landing flare resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the dark night conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - light condition - dark night (contributing factor) - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis During the dark night landing, the airplane bounced twice. The pilot reported that he "made a steep approach and misjudged his height on flare and made a hard landing." The runway lights were operating at the time of the accident. ## Factual narrative On June 16, 2002, approximately 2230 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, single-engine airplane, N675MP, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Pecos Municipal Airport, Pecos, Texas. The airplane was registered to SMILOR, LLC, of Troy, Michigan, and operated by a private individual under Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The instrument rated private pilot, and his four passengers were not injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed and activated. The personal flight departed El Paso, Texas, approximately 1945. On the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) the 674-hour pilot reported that cruise altitude for the flight was 9,000 feet msl. Due to mountainous terrain, the pilot maintained the altitude to the destination airport. The pilot then descended the airplane for the pattern entry, overflew the airport to visualize the windsock, and planned the visual approach to runway 14 at an airspeed of 95 knots with 10 degrees of flaps. Further, the pilot reported that during the dark night landing, the airplane bounced twice. The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, found the right wing bent, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The inspector found "numerous propeller strikes on the runway, and the outboard portion of the propeller blades grounded away." The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that he "made a steep approach and misjudged his height on flare and made a hard landing." The runway lights were operating at the time of the accident. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N675MP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N675MP), registered now, S/N 32-7200037, built 1972 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-32-260 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32-260](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (registry code 7103206) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32-720037 - Airframe hours: 3300 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Richard J. Leo, doing business as Smilor, LLC - Registered owner: Smilor, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 9, 2002, 57 hours before - Departed: ELP, El Paso, TX - Destination: PEQ, Pecos, TX - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: PEQ, Pecos Municipal, runway 14, 6,236 × 80 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review July 22, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 674 total, 605 in this make and model, 600 as pilot in command, 52 in the last 90 days, 32 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 100° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 59 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: INK ## 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 20020616012829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020616012829A), Jun 16, 2002: Piper PA32260, Pecos, TX, No damage. (-23) Pilot reported to this inspector that he made a steep approach and misjudged his height on flare and made a hard landing, bounced, held it off with power… ## Docket (9 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 21, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54962. 1.4 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 462 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446915&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Passenger Statements (item 2, .PDF, 451 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446916&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statements-Master.PDF - Portions of Maintenance Records (item 3, .PDF, 273 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40446917&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Portions%20of%20Maintenance%20Records-Master.PDF - Photo 01: View of propeller strikes on the runway. (Courtesy of FAA) (item 4, .PDF, 39 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186268&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2001%3A%20View%20of%20propeller%20strikes%20on%20the%20runway.%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 02: View of airplane. (Courtesy of FAA) (item 5, .PDF, 34 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186269&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2002%3A%20View%20of%20airplane.%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 03: View of right wing damage. (Courtesy of FAA) (item 6, .PDF, 44 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186317&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2003%3A%20View%20of%20right%20wing%20damage.%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 04: View of right wing leading edge. (Courtesy of FAA) (item 7, .PDF, 36 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186318&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2004%3A%20%20View%20of%20right%20wing%20leading%20edge.%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 05: View of right wing. (Courtesy of FAA) (item 8, .PDF, 43 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186319&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2005%3A%20View%20of%20right%20wing.%20(Courtesy%20of%20FAA)-Master.PDF - Photo 06: View of propeller blade. (Courtesy of FAA) (item 9, .PDF, 39 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40186320&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%2006%3A%20View%20of%20propeller%20blade.%20(Courtesy%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.