- Date
- June 28, 1988, 22:45 local (Jun 29, 1988, 03:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Charles, LA
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3969MPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880628023919A
- Case key
- 22657
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Between flights, the pilot noticed the nose was very high while taxiing but thought it was because the strut had failed to compress. On the next touchdown, on the main wheels, the airplane started porpoising and despite the pilot's corrections, the porpoising increased in amplitude. Pilot applied power for a go-around and the airplane started a shallow left turn that pilot could not control with rudder or aileron. Airplane traveled 100 to 200 feet before touching down, left wing first.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3969M
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32 7840076
- Airframe hours
- 2,375
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael W. Guidry
- Registered owner
- Aero Six, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 6, 1988 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- BNA · Nashville, TN
- Destination
- KLCH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KLCH · Municipal, runway 15, 6,500 × 150 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 422 total · 16 in this make and model · 337 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.