- Date
- December 25, 1993, 14:16 local (19:16 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2872DPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 20, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931225049629A
- Case key
- 37472
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
Failure of the pilot-in-command to apply power after the airspeed decrease just before touchdown and also failure to recover from the bounced landing. Contributing to the accident was the in-flight encounter with wind gusts while on approach to land.
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 deviated due to adverse weather and while in the traffic pattern for landing on runway 26 at the alternate airport, the pilot advised he had ATIS information 'india.' The winds were from 280 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 18 knots. The flight was cleared to land and the pilot was advised by the controller that the wind was from 290 degrees at 12 knots. The pilot acknowledged this and stated that just before touchdown, the airspeed decreased 10 knots. The airplane then landed hard on the nose landing gear and began to porpoise. The pilot did not apply power to go-around and the nose landing gear collapsed on the second touchdown.
Factual narrative
On December 25, 1993, about 1416 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N2872D, registered to Robert O'Conner dba O'Conner Flying Service, was substantially damaged while landing at the Fulton County Airport, Atlanta, Georgia, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed for a flight from Spartanburg, South Carolina, to Huntsville, Alabama. The private-rated pilot and four passengers were not injured. The flight originated at 1147.
The pilot elected to deviate to an alternate airport due to adverse weather ahead on the route of flight. While in the traffic pattern for landing on runway 26 at the alternate airport, the pilot advised the controller that he had the current ATIS information "India" which indicated that the winds were from 280 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 18 knots. The flight was cleared to land and the pilot was advised by the controller that the wind was from 290 degrees at 12 knots. The pilot acknowledged this and stated that he lowered only 10 degrees of flaps for landing due to the wind gusts. The pilot stated that just before touchdown the airspeed decreased 10 knots and the airplane landed hard on the nose landing gear. The airplane began to porpoise and the pilot did not apply power to go-around. The nose landing gear collapsed on the second landing and the airplane then came to rest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2872D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7940167
- Airframe hours
- 2,040
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- O'Conner, Robert DBA O'Conner
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 6, 1993 · 73 hours before
- Departed
- SPA · Spartanburg, SC
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FTY · Fulton County-Brown Field, runway 26, 5,796 × 100 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 377 total · 48 in this make and model · 345 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FTY, 1 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.
Other investigations on N2872D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.