- Date
- September 15, 2016, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Valparaiso, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3331RPiper PA 28-180
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 18, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160915018329A
- Case key
- 94028
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 landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing.
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 during the landing touchdown the airplane bounced on the main landing gear then nosed down and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing touchdown the airplane bounced on the main landing gear then nosed down and the propeller struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3331R
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-180 (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-5661
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 15, 2015
- Departed
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Destination
- VPZ · Valparaiso, IN
- Airport
- VPZ · Porter County Rgnl, runway 27, 7,001 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Seat
- Left
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 8, 2016
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- KVPZ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 706 KB 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.
Other investigations on N3331R · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.