- Date
- May 6, 2004, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N87ADBeech H35
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040506017719A
- Case key
- 59238
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 pilots failure to maintain the proper glide path during the approach which resulted in the airplane undershooting the runway and not attaining the proper touchdown point.
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 stated that while on very short final he encountered a sudden downdraft, which drove the airplane downward, resulting in a hard landing short of the beginning of the runway. He stated that as a result of the impact the airplane incurred substantial damage, and added that prior to the accident, there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane, or any of its systems.
Factual narrative
On May 6, 2004, about 1030 eastern daylight time, a Beech H35, N87AD, registered to Soar BC Inc. and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, landed short of the runway at the Aero Acres Airport, near Fort Pierce, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot received minor injuries and the airplane incurred substantial damage. The flight originated at the Aero Acres Airport, the same day, about 1025.
The pilot stated that he was practicing touch-and-go landings, and was on very short final, about 25 feet from the end of the runway and about 30 feet above the ground, when he suddenly encountered a downdraft. The pilot further stated that the downdraft drove the aircraft downward, leading to a hard landing, just short of the beginning of the runway. He said that the nosewheel separated from the aircraft upon hitting the lip of the runway, followed by the propeller striking the runway. In addition, he said that as a result of the impact, both sides of the airplane's fuselage became twisted, aft of the baggage door. According to the pilot, there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or its systems prior to the aircraft impacting the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87AD
- Reported as
- Beech H35
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- D-4943
- Airframe hours
- 5,357.4
- Engine
- Continental 260-N, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tim Sullivan
- Registered owner
- Soar BC Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 24, 2003 · 86 hours before
- Departed
- FD88 · Fort Pierce, FL
- Destination
- FD88
- Airport
- FD88 · Aero Acres Airport, runway 09, 310 × 50 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
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,347 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- FPR, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.