- Date
- July 15, 2017, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marion, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31841Piper PA32
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 17, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170715011559A
- Case key
- 95620
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 directional control during the landing roll.
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, after a normal touchdown, the airplane's nose dropped, and he added power. Subsequently, the airplane bounced, exited the runway to the right, and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, after a normal touchdown, the nose of the airplane dropped, and he added power. Subsequently, the airplane bounced, exited the runway to the right, and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and engine mounts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31841
- Reported as
- Piper PA32 (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7840149
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 3,254.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 2017
- Departed
- 7C5 · Montezuma, IA
- Destination
- C17 · Marion, IA
- Airport
- C17 · Marion, runway 17, 3,775 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Stall warning system, Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 79
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,412 total · 28.2 in this make and model · 1,336.5 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KCID, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.