# NTSB MIA95LA111: Piper PA-28-180, N7054W, Fort Myers, FL, April 18, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 18, 1995, 10:44 local (14:44 UTC) - Place: Fort Myers, FL - Location: 26.5866° N, 81.8632° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PAGE FLD (FMY), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.5866&lon=-81.8632&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 29, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 37754 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA95LA111 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/37754/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA95LA111 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain a proper rate of descent on approach for landing, resulting in a hard landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - proper descent rate - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis The pilot stated he made a normal landing but on rollout the airplane began to porpoise. He applied rudder, exited the runway onto the grass and came to a complete stop. ATC personnel who observed the airplane on approach stated the airplane was slow with a high sink rate. The airplane collided with the ground, bounced, landed hard again, and slid off the runway to the right. Examination of the airplane by maintenance personnel revealed the nose gear was bent aft and the engine mounts and firewall were buckled in several places. ## Factual narrative On April 18, 1995, about 1044 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered to Kenneth K. Snyder, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, veered off the runway on landing at Page Field, Fort Myers, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Buchan Airport, Sarasota, Florida, about 30 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated he made a normal landing on runway 13. On landing rollout the airplane started to porpoise. He applied aft pressure on the control yoke to take the weight off the nose gear, and informed his passengers of the situation. He applied rudder, exited the runway onto the grass, and came to a complete stop. An air traffic controller who witnessed the accident, stated she observed the airplane on approach for landing to runway 13. The airplane was slow, with a fast sink rate. She was not sure if the airplane touched down on all three wheels the first time, or if it hit on the nose wheel first. The airplane bounced, landed hard, bounced, landed hard again, and slide off the right side of the runway. Mr. Sean Capper, a flight instructor, stated he was the last pilot to fly the airplane the day before the accident. When he returned from the flight there was no indication of any mechanical problems with the airplane. He further stated, he was present when the pilot conducted his preflight inspection of the airplane before departing on the flight, and nothing was wrong with the airplane. Examination of the airplane after the accident by the Director of Maintenance, Fort Myers Jet Center, revealed the nose gear assembly was bent backwards about 30 degrees. The engine mount and nose gear dynafocal mount was damaged, and the firewall was buckled in several places. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7054W](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7054W), registered now, S/N 28-820 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-180](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (registry code 7102808) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-820 - Airframe hours: 3556 - Engines: LYCOMING O-360-A3A 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Snyder, Kenneth K. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, April 1, 1995, 18 hours before - Departed: X36, BUCHAN, FL - Airport: FMY, Page Field, runway 13, 4,997 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 236 total, 116 as pilot in command, 42 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: FMY ## 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 19950418012799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950418012799A), Apr 18, 1995: Piper PA28180, Ft Myers, FL, Substantial damage. Bounced and porpoised landing. Slid off side of runway. Impact bent nose gear back 30 degrees. Firewall buckled. 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.