- Date
- July 29, 2017, 21:15 local (Jul 30, 2017, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- St. Joseph, IL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2204BPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170729012669A
- Case key
- 95707
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 the nose landing gear collapsing and subsequent loss of directional control.
Findings · 7
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, while landing at night, the threshold and right side runway lights were out of service at the airport. He added that he "must have been closer [to the ground] than [he] estimated" on approach because the airplane landed flat. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed, the airplane veered left, and he attempted to correct with right rudder. The airplane came to rest left of the runway in an adjacent cornfield. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. 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, while landing at night, the threshold and right side runway lights were out of service at the airport. He added that, he "must have been closer [to the ground] than [he] estimated" on approach because the airplane landed flat. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed, the airplane veered left and he attempted to correct with right rudder. The airplane came to rest left of the runway in an adjacent cornfield. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2204B
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (236)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7911012
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 3,391
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-J3A5D, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 8, 2016
- Departed
- OSH · Oshkosh, WI
- Destination
- 9IL2 · St. Joseph, IL
- Airport
- 9IL2 · Routh, runway 36, 2,664 × 134 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 14, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,335 total · 2,079 in this make and model · 3,097 as pilot in command · 7.5 in the last 90 days · 6.4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 20° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- KCMI, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.