# NTSB NYC03LA097: Piper PA-23-250, N448VP, Buffalo, NY, May 5, 2003 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 5, 2003, 19:29 local (23:29 UTC) - Place: Buffalo, NY - Coordinates: 42.946109, -78.721946 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.9461&lon=-78.7219&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 56946 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC03LA097 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/56946/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03LA097 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed to prevent an inadvertent stall. Factors were the variable and gusty winds. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - airspeed - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - variable wind (contributing factor) - stall/mush - inadvertent, pilot in command - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - flare - not possible, pilot in command - landing gear - collapsed - terrain condition - runway ## Analysis The pilot was approaching to land on runway 23 with a tower reported wind from 170 degrees at 10 knots. He reported that at 20 feet, and an airspeed of 100-110 mph, the airplane fell to the runway. The airport was equipped with a low level windshear detection system. According to data from 2 minutes before the accident to 2 minutes after the accident, from the on-airport sensors, the wind was variable by 40 degrees, and the velocity changed by about 5 knots. ## Factual narrative On May 5, 2003, at 1929 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N448VP, operated by Northeast Aviation, as flight 606, was substantially damaged while landing at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), Buffalo, New York. The certificated commercial pilot and additional crewmember were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the non-scheduled cargo flight, which originated from Dutchess County Airport (POU), Poughkeepsie, New York. Flight 606 was conducted on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan under 14 CFR Part 135. According to the operator, the additional crewmember was onboard to observe operations and assist with the cargo. He held a commercial pilot certificate, and was being considered for employment. He had not passed a flight check for the airplane and was not operating as a pilot on the operator's certificate The pilot reported that the flight to Buffalo, was without incident. When he initially obtained the ATIS (Airport Terminal Information Service), the winds were "gusty." The airplane was radar vectored for the ILS 23 approach. At the outer marker, the landing gear was lowered, and the pilot performed a "GUMP" check. The pilot further stated: "...I was approaching at 100-110 mph. Slowly started to power back over the runway. Just when I was about to begin the flare, I felt the bottom drop out below me. I was going to full power, but by that time, I had hit the ground so I pulled the power back to idle. Next thing I knew we were skidding down the runway...." The additional crewmember reported that as the airplane crossed the threshold for runway 23, it just stopped flying and struck the ground. The pilot added power, but there was insufficient time to prevent runway contact. He was not observing the airspeed and was unaware of the airspeed at the time the airplane encountered what he described as "wind shear." In addition, he reported that he did not touch the flight controls during the approach or landing. A witness stated: "...I was directly under the aircraft as it was on its final approach across I-90. I noticed that the aircraft was really being pitched by the winds and making very radical moves to correct alignment (all this happened in a couple of seconds). As the aircraft approached the end of the runway, the aircraft seemed to be having difficulty getting alignment. As the aircraft aligned over the runway, the aircraft made a very sudden and hard drop on to the runway. I did not see actual contact by the aircraft, but I did witness subsequent smoke after the touchdown...the contact seemed hard and very fast from approximately 20 feet." According to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airplane struck the runway, on centerline, about mid-way from the approach end of runway 23 and taxiway BRAVO. It slid for about 500 feet, and came to rest at the intersection of taxiway BRAVO, with the airplane partially off the runway. The landing gear had collapsed rearward. The outboard section of the left wing had scrape marks on the underside. There were no scrapes on the underside of the right wing. A small post-crash fire developed in the left engine nacelle, and was extinguished by airport fire fighting personnel. Buffalo airport was equipped with a low level wind shear detection system. It consisted of 2 on-airport and 4 off-airport sensors. Data was sampled every 10 seconds at each sensor, and recorded using UTC time (local time + 4 hours). According to FAA data, the time of the accident was listed as 1929 (2329 UTC). Data between 2257:10, and 2359:50 was received. A detailed examination of the data between 2327, and 2331 revealed that for the 2 on-airport sensors, the maximum variation in wind direction was 40 degrees, and the maximum spread in wind velocity was 5 knots. For the sensor located in the northeast quadrant, the direction the pilot approached from, the maximum variation in wind direction was 40 degrees, and the maximum spread in wind velocities was 12 knots. According to the airplane owner's manual, the stall speed of the airplane with landing gear extended, and a flap setting of 50 degrees is 68 mph at 5,200 pounds, and decreases to 61 mph at 4,200 pounds. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N448VP](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N448VP-2006-02-02), registration cancelled 2006-02-02, S/N 27-4414, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-23-250 - Registry model: [Piper PA-23-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (registry code 7102308) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 27-4414 - Airframe hours: 6944 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540 250 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming IO-540 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Registered owner: Northeast Aviation - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 23, 2003, 88 hours before - Departed: POU, Poughkeepsie, NY - Destination: BUF, Buffalo, NY - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: BUF, Buffalo Niagara Intl Arpt, runway 23, 8,102 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 26; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review December 27, 2002; seat: left; flight hours: 2,000 total, 400 in this make and model, 1,800 as pilot in command, 210 in the last 90 days, 80 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 3,400 ft overcast - Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 45 °F - Altimeter: 29.76 inHg - Observed at: BUF ## 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 20030505036919A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030505036919A), May 5, 2003: Piper PA23250, Buffalo, NY, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot states: "landing normal until a few feet above touchdown-encountered windshear descended to a hard landing". Small fire erupted in right engine… 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.