LAX99LA055

A witness at the airport reported that the aircraft flared approximately 10 feet above the runway, stalled, and hit the runway hard. Examination of the airplane revealed that the landing gear structural mounting bolts were elongated, the engine mounts and both main spars were bent. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions.

On December 18, 1998, at 1545 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N5413S, landed hard on runway 26 at the Big Bear, California, airport. The aircraft, owned and operated by Aero Haven, Inc., under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight that had departed from Lake Havasu, Arizona, on the day of the accident. The flight was scheduled to terminate at Big Bear and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported that the aircraft's approach speed was 85 miles per hour when the aircraft contacted the surface. He stated that the aircraft porpoised down the runway, and on the second contact with the surface the propeller struck the runway. The pilot stated that there was a loss of directional control after he lost use of the rudder. The aircraft veered to the right and departed the runway striking a landing light.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector from the Riverside, California, Flight Standards District Office responded to the accident site. The inspector interviewed a witness and inspected the aircraft.

The witness stated that the aircraft came into land and flared approximately 10 feet above the runway and stalled.

The inspector noted that the main landing gear was intact, but the structural mounting bolts in the wing were elongated. He further noted that the engine mounts were bent and the main spars had been compromised. The inspector observed an unattached rudder bellcrank.