- Date
- May 5, 2016, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gainesville, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4450SPiper PA32RT
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 15, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160505004519A
- Case key
- 93128
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 an appropriate descent rate during the landing flare in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing, left main landing gear collapse, and runway excursion.
Findings · 4
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 during the landing flare a gust of wind caused the airplane to balloon 10 to 15 feet above the runway. The pilot further reported that the touchdown was hard, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. An automated weather observing system, about the time of the accident, reported the wind from 310 degrees true at 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots, for the landing on runway 29. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing flare a gust of wind caused the airplane to balloon 10 to 15 feet above the runway. The pilot further reported that the touchdown was hard, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. An automated weather observing system, about the time of the accident, reported the wind from 310 degrees true at 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots, for the landing on runway 29. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4450S
- Reported as
- Piper PA32RT (300T)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7987073
- Built
- 1979
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1 AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 2016
- Departed
- GVL · Gainesville, GA
- Destination
- GVL · Gainesville, GA
- Airport
- GVL · Lee Gilmer Memorial, runway 29, 4,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 27, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 515 total · 372 in this make and model · 482 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
- Observed at
- KGVL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 9, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.