IAD99LA053

The pilot added power to clear the trees at the approach end of the runway and, once past the trees, reduced power and attempted the landing flare. The pilot reported the control surfaces were ineffective, the airplane fell straight down, and struck the runway 'extremely hard.' According to the pilot, 'The accident was caused by approaching the runway too slowly, combined with a high density altitude resulting from extremely high temperatures.'

On July 18, 1999, at 1500 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-235, N235TL, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Parr Airport (42I), Zanesville, Ohio. The certificated private pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight that originated at Dayton, Ohio, approximately 1410. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

In a telephone interview, the pilot reported the purpose of the flight was to return to his home airport in Zanesville. He said he listened to a traffic advisory and entered the traffic pattern for landing on runway 28. The pilot said there were trees at the east end of the airport and that he had to adjust his approach angle to accommodate them whenever he landed on runway 28. He said:

"When I turned base to final I started to drop. I put the power back in and crawled over the trees. I didn't check my airspeed so when I pulled the power back and flared, nothing worked. I pulled back and there was nothing there. The airplane struck the ground about 30 degrees nose down. The nose gear and the prop hit the ground."

The pilot said the landing was hard but that he was able to taxi clear of the runway. He further stated that he took his two children to the hospital for examination, but they were not injured.

The owner/manager of the airport was at the east end of the airport as the airplane approached for landing. He said:

"He was a little shallow...on final. Then he put the power on. Then he reduced power after he cleared the trees. When he began his flare the airplane fell right on through. The airplane sounded good until it hit, then it went 'bing, bing, bing.' I guess that was when the prop hit."

The airport manager's son, a flight instructor, witnessed the approach from the airport office. He said:

"He was slow coming in over the trees. I got up to grab the microphone, to tell him to add power, but it was too late. He fell in from about 25 feet. Flat."

In a written statement, the pilot said, "In my opinion, the accident was caused by approaching the runway too slowly combined with high density altitude resulting from extremely high temperatures."

The pilot said he had approximately 112 hours of total flight experience, 58 hours of which were in make and model.

When questioned about the performance of the airplane, he said, "The airplane was performing fine. I went from a [Cessna] 150 that kind of floats, to this, which is a heavy airplane, that you kind of have to power onto the runway. The accident was simply not having the plane fast enough."

The winds reported at Zanesville at the time of the accident were from 260 degrees at 9 knots.