- Date
- May 7, 2004, 18:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Many, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N21131Piper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040507009369A
- Case key
- 59287
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 touchdown which resulted in a hard landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During a cross country flight, the 287-hour private pilot became lost and then experienced a hard landing at an alternate airport. According to an air traffic controller, the pilot became lost and radioed for assistance. The controller directed the pilot to an alternate airport. The pilot stated he "found [the] airport and made a bad landing."
Factual narrative
On May 7, 2004, at 1810 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181 single-engine airplane, N21131, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Hart Airport, near Many, Louisiana. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant and registered owner of the airplane, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The cross-country flight departed St. Elmo Airport, near St. Elmo, Alabama, approximately 1100, and was destined for Santa Monica, California.
According to an air traffic controller with Fort Polk Army Airfield, near Folk Polk, Louisiana, the pilot became lost and radioed for assistance on a very high frequency (VHF) frequency. The controller contacted the pilot, and the pilot reported, "I'm low on fuel and somewhat lost in the Polk area." The controller directed the pilot to Hart Airport, informed him of the current wind information, and positioned the pilot to a left base to runway 12. The pilot responded, "I hope I'm doing this right." The controller lost radio and radar contact with the pilot, and then attempted to contact the pilot via another aircraft. Shortly thereafter, the controller noticed the accident airplane on radar, south of Hart Airport, and it appeared to be setting up for a landing to runway 30. The wind at the time of the accident would have given the pilot a 10 knot tailwind on runway 30. At 1810, another aircraft informed the controller the accident airplane was damaged during the landing, and the pilot was not injured.
According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the 287-hour pilot stated on the flight from Alabama to California, he "lost [the] VOR's (VHF Omnidirectional Range)." The pilot requested assistance from air traffic control and was subsequently directed to the Hart Airport. The pilot added that he "found [the] airport and made a bad landing."
According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who responded to the accident site, the nose landing gear was separated, the nose gear strut was broken, and the engine firewall was buckled.
The accident was reported to the National Transportation Safety Board on May 24, 2004, about 2 weeks after the mishap occured.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21131
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7990035
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dana B. Wood
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 2R5 · St. Elmo, AL
- Destination
- SMO · Santa Monica, CA
- Airport
- Hart, runway 30, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 287 total · 270 in this make and model · 264 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.