- Date
- December 9, 2003, 12:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- E. Stroudsburg, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7202RBeech BE-55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Allentown
- FAA report
- 20031209035579A
- Case key
- 58447
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 flare, which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the nose landing gear.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane ballooned during the landing flare. The pilot then applied a nose down correction and subsequently landed hard on the nose gear. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop.
Factual narrative
On December 9, 2003, about 1245 eastern standard time, a Beech BE-55, N7202R, was substantially damaged while landing at Stroudsburg-Pocono Airport (N53), East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the airplane was not operating on a flight plan. The personal flight, which originated at Sullivan County International Airport (MSV), Monticello, New York, was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the airplane ballooned during the landing flare. The pilot then applied a nose down correction and subsequently landed hard on the nose landing gear. The nose gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded to a stop.
When asked what could have been done to prevent the accident, the pilot stated that he should have performed a go-around.
The weather reported at Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport (MPO) Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, 12 nautical miles to the northwest, at 1153, included variable winds at 3 knots, 10 miles visibility, an overcast ceiling at 8,500 feet, temperature 28 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 19 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure of 30.16 inches of mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7202R
- Reported as
- Beech BE-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-1819
- Airframe hours
- 3,400
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-470-L21, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Pagano
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 5, 2003 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- MSV · Monticello, NY
- Destination
- N53 · E. Stroudsburg, PA
- Airport
- N53 · Stroudsburg-Pocono Airport, runway 8, 3,087 × 30 ft, asphalt
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- April 13, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,047 total · 120 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 85 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KMPO, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.