- Date
- May 14, 2005, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- San Martin, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1982LBeech C23 Sundowner
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20050514008319A
- Case key
- 61543
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 that resulted in a porpoise and a hard landing.
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
During touchdown, the airplane porpoised, and made a hard landing causing the nose wheel to separate. The pilot entered the landing pattern for runway 32, decreased the airspeed to 80 knots, and selected 15 degrees of flaps. On final, the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) indicated that he was on glideslope. The airplane touched down at 75 knots, and the engine was at idle. After touchdown, the airplane ballooned, and came back down hard on the nose gear. The airplane slid to a stop and a small fire erupted in the engine compartment. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. He also reported that the winds were from 140 degrees at 10 knots at the time of the landing.
Factual narrative
On May 14, 2005, about 1415 Pacific daylight time, a Beech C23 Sundowner, N1982L, made a hard landing at South County Airport of Santa Clara County (E16), San Martin, California. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight departed Cable Airport (CCB), Upland, California, at 1045, with a planned destination of San Martin. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot submitted a written statement. He stated that he entered the landing pattern for runway 32, decreased the airspeed to 80 knots, and selected 15 degrees of flaps. On final, the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) indicated that he was on glideslope. The airplane touched down at 75 knots, and the engine was at idle. After touchdown, the airplane ballooned, and came back down hard on the nose gear. The nose gear then separated from the airplane. The airplane slid to a stop, and a small fire erupted in the engine compartment.
The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions noted with the airplane. He also reported that the winds were from 140 degrees at 10 knots at the time of the landing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1982L
- Reported as
- Beech C23 Sundowner
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- M-1839
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven B. Frieson
- Registered owner
- Steven B. Frieson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CCB · Upland, CA
- Destination
- E16 · San Martin, CA
- Airport
- E16 · San Martin, runway 32, 3,100 × 75 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 170 total · 29 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.