# NTSB LAX98LA117: Piper PA34-200, N4442T, Van Nuys, CA, March 16, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 15, 1998, 18:45 local (Mar 16, 1998, 02:45 UTC) - Place: Van Nuys, CA - Coordinates: 34.18983, -118.490165 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1898&lon=-118.4902&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 15, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 30053 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX98LA117 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/30053/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA117 ## Probable cause The pilot's misjudged landing flare which led to an uncontrolled porpoise and eventual collapse of the landing gear. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - flare - misjudged, pilot in command (cause) - recovery from bounced landing - attempted, pilot in command (cause) - porpoise/pilot-induced oscillation - inadvertent, pilot in command - Complete gear collapsed, landing ## Analysis The pilot reported that he landed hard on the initial touchdown and heard a loud noise, which he attributed to a blown tire. After the aircraft ballooned up, the pilot reduced the power and the aircraft impacted the runway and subsequently slid off the runway. A witness to the accident reported that after touchdown the aircraft began to porpoise down the runway. The porpoise progressively deteriorated until the landing gear collapsed. Flight control continuity was established on-scene and no discrepancies were noted with the landing gear tires. ## Factual narrative On March 15, 1998, at 1845 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA34-200, N4442T, landed and porpoised down runway 16R at the Van Nuys, California, airport. The landing gear collapsed and the aircraft subsequently slid off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the commercial rated pilot and two passengers were not injured. A third passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local personal flight and no flight plan was filed. In an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector from the Van Nuys Flight Standards District Office, the pilot stated that he landed hard on the first touchdown and heard a loud noise that he believed was a "tire popping." The aircraft ballooned up, the pilot reduced the power, and the aircraft impacted the runway. FAA operations and airworthiness inspectors noted that the main landing gear tires were inflated and showed no evidence of having deflated on impact. Due to the damage of the nose landing gear, the FAA inspectors could not verify the condition of the tire. An FAA witness to the accident reported that after touchdown the aircraft porpoised down the runway. He stated that the porpoise got progressively worse until the landing gear collapsed and the aircraft veered off the runway. FAA operations and airworthiness inspectors inspected the aircraft on-scene. Flight control continuity was established and no further anomalies were found. The on-scene investigation revealed that no airworthiness certificate, aircraft registration, or flight manuals were discovered onboard the aircraft. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4442T](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4442T-2006-01-06), registration cancelled 2006-01-06, S/N 34-7250098 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA34-200 - Registry model: [Piper PA-34-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (registry code 7103405) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 34-7250098 - Airframe hours: 7028 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 400 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Rose E. Melendez - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, December 18, 1997, 100 hours before - Departed: VNY - Airport: VNY, Van Nuys, runway 16R, 8,001 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 820 total, 350 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/bright - Wind: 150° at 7 knots - Visibility: 7 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: VNY ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980315003429A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980315003429A), Mar 15, 1998: Piper PA34200, Van Nuys, CA, Substantial damage. The pilot reported that he landed hard on the initial touchdown and heard a loud noise, which he attributed to a blown tire. After the aircraft ballooned up,… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.