- Date
- May 14, 2018, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cape Carteret, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N25WEPiper PA 32R
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180514005369A
- Case key
- 97264
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 steep approach, which resulted in a hard landing and the collapse of the landing gear during touchdown.
Findings · 3
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
According to the pilot in the retractable-landing gear-equipped airplane, he set up for an extended final approach to the sandy turf runway. He waited until he cleared the trees and "then…dropped down to land." The main landing gear touched down first, followed by the nose landing gear. The main and nose landing gear collapsed upon contact with the runway. The pilot reported that the airplane slid about 300 ft before it came to a stop on the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the lower fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector who examined the airplane at the accident site reported that witnesses stated that the pilot landed the airplane hard on the sandy turf surface. However, the pilot stated that he did not. However, the pilot did state that he really had to bring the airplane in steep over the trees to get it on the runway. Photographs provided by the operator showed vertical deformation of both wings at the main landing gear mount location.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the retractable landing gear-equipped airplane, he set up for an extended final approach to the sandy turf runway. He waited until he cleared the trees, "then I dropped down to land." The main landing gear touched down first, followed by the nose landing gear. The main and nose landing gear collapsed upon contact with the runway. The pilot reported that the airplane slid about 300ft before it came to a stop on the right side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, and the lower fuselage. The Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Inspector that examined the airplane at the accident site, reported that witnesses had stated that the pilot landed hard on the sandy turf surface. However, the pilot stated that he did not. Nevertheless, the pilot did state that he really had to bring it in steep over the trees to get the airplane on the runway. Photographs provided by the operator showed vertical deformation of both wings at the main landing gear mount location.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25WE
- Reported as
- Piper PA 32R (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-8113039
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 6,025
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Axiom Capital Solutions LLC
- Registered owner
- Axiom Capital Solutions LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · November 15, 2017
- Departed
- BUY · Burlington, NC
- Destination
- 60NC · Cape Carteret, NC
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 60NC · Star Hill Golf Club, runway 06, 2,800 × 75 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic primary flight 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
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 13, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 250 in this make and model · 425 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 1.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KNJM, 2 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 29, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.