- Date
- July 14, 2016, 12:11 local (18:11 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N465BPPiper PA46R
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160714011009A
- Case key
- 93617
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 nose down pitch attitude during touchdown resulting in a propeller strike, hard bounced landing, and nose landing gear collapse.
Findings · 2
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 following an instrument flight rules (IFR) cross country flight, he canceled his IFR clearance, and made a visual approach to runway 26. He recalled that Tower told him that his airplane would be the last to land on runway 26, and he recalled that the inbound airplane behind him was vectored for an approach to runway 08. He reported that after landing, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid to the right side of the runway, and partially exited the runway before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts, firewall and fuselage bulkheads. The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector that examined the airplane and the accident scene, reported that during the landing the propeller struck the runway, the airplane bounced and settled back to the runway about 100 feet further down the runway where a second set of propeller blade strike markings were identified. The Inspector reported that the propeller blade strike markings were accompanied by black rubber skid marks that extended from the runway centerline and veered to the right edge of the runway. The Inspector reported that, the nose gear collapsed backwards as evidenced by white paint marks and metallic material scarring the asphalt. The airplane continued to veer to the right where it eventually departed the paved runway coming to a rest in the dirt. The Inspector confirmed that the distance from the initial propeller strike to the wreckage was about 735 feet. The meteorological aerodrome report at the accident airport reported that the wind direction and distance about the time of the accident was 010 degrees true at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that following an instrument flight rules (IFR) cross country flight, he canceled his IFR clearance, and made a visual approach to runway 26. He recalled that Tower told him that his airplane would be the last to land on runway 26, and he recalled that the inbound airplane behind him was vectored for an approach to runway 08. He reported that after landing, the nose gear collapsed and the airplane slid to the right side of the runway, and partially exited the runway before coming to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts, firewall and fuselage bulkheads. The Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector that examined the airplane and the accident scene, reported that during the landing the propeller struck the runway, the airplane bounced and settled back to the runway about 100 feet further down the runway where a second set of propeller blade strike markings were identified. The Inspector reported that the propeller blade strike markings were accompanied by black rubber skid marks that extended from the runway centerline and veered to the right edge of the runway. The Inspector reported that, the nose gear collapsed backwards as evidenced by white paint marks and metallic material scarring the asphalt. The airplane continued to veer to the right where it eventually departed the paved runway coming to a rest in the dirt. The Inspector confirmed that the distance from the initial propeller strike to the wreckage was about 735 feet. The meteorological aerodrome report at the accident airport reported that the wind direction and distance about the time of the accident was 010 degrees true at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N465BP
- Reported as
- Piper PA46R (350T)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4692032
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 692.8
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Matrix 37, LLC.
- Registered owner
- Matrix 37, LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 28, 2016
- Departed
- HDE · Holdrege, NE
- Destination
- FTG · Denver, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FTG · Front Range, runway 26, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 440 total · 103 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KFTG
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 26, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.