FTW99LA073

During the landing flare and the airplane contacted the runway 'hard.' The pilot approached the airport from the east for a visual approach. He stated that 'just before touchdown I realized we were sinking too fast,' and he applied power. Subsequently, the airplane contacted runway and the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear collapsed. The pilot stated that at the time of the accident the weather conditions were clear skies and calm winds.

On February 7, 1999, at 1645 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-250 airplane, N112WS, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Hidden Valley Airpark Airport, near Denton, Texas. The private pilot, who was the owner and operator of the airplane, and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 flight and no flight plan was filed. The personal flight originated from the Majors Airport, Greenville, Texas, at 1630.

According to the 774 hour pilot, he approached the airport from the east and made a visual approach to runway 34. The airplane turned onto the final approach leg and the pilot "ran the checklist," which included extending the flaps to the "full down" position. He stated that everything was "normal [,and] working properly." The pilot reported that the airplane began to "sink," and he applied power. The pilot added that the airplane landed "hard" on the 1,985 foot runway. Subsequently, the left main landing gear and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane exited the east side of the runway surface onto grassy terrain and came to rest upright, on a westerly heading.

The pilot reported that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were clear skies and calm winds.

An FAA inspector, who examined the airplane, reported that the left main landing gear penetrated the lower and upper sections of the wing skin. Additionally, the nose gear collapsed and the propeller tips were curled.