- Date
- May 13, 1998, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Winchester, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1142CPiper PA-22-135
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980513009049A
- Case key
- 28298
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
Improper flare. A related factor was the pilot's diverted attention.
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 pilot reported that during landing on runway 32, he touched down on the nosewheel first followed by the main wheels. The nosewheel then collapsed, and the airplane came to rest 100 feet beyond the touchdown point. He said that he was distracted during landing as his passenger was sick and vomiting. The pilot said that there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On May 13, 1998, at 1915 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22-135, N1142C, was substantially damaged when it touched down hard during landing at the Winchester Regional Airport, Winchester, Virginia. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The local, personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that during landing on runway 32, the airplane's nosewheel struck the runway. The nosewheel then collapsed, and the airplane came to rest 100 feet beyond the touchdown point. He said that he was distracted during the landing as his passenger was sick and vomiting.
The pilot said that there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1142C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-135
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-979
- Engine
- Lycoming O-290-D2, 135 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David F Williams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- FRR · Front Royal, VA
- Destination
- OKV · VA
- Airport
- OKV · Winchester Regional, runway 32, 5,500 × 100 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 306 total · 28 in this make and model · 13 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OKV
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.