- Date
- April 21, 2004, 15:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Willoughby, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N497MAPiper PA-34-220T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 1, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20040421025969A
- Case key
- 59131
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 pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions associated with thunderstorm activity.
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 entered the traffic pattern for runway 23, a 5,028-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The airplane encountered moderate rain and gusty winds as it descended on final approach. The pilot said that as the airplane approached the runway, she did not add enough engine power in an adequate time frame to prevent a hard landing. The airplane bounced and came to rest on the runway. Subsequent inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the wing spar, fuselage, both engines, and propellers. A weather observation taken at an airport located about 16 miles southwest of the accident site included winds from 190 degrees at 16 knots, with 24 knot gusts, and a visibility of 8 statue miles with thunderstorm activity.
Factual narrative
On April 21, 2004, about 1545 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-34-220T, N497MA, was substantially damaged while landing at the Lost Nation Municipal Airport (LNN), Willoughby, Ohio. The certificated private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Spartanburg, South Carolina. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that she canceled her IFR flight plan, and entered the traffic pattern for runway 23, a 5,028-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. The airplane encountered moderate rain and gusty winds as it descended on final approach. The pilot further stated that as the airplane approached the runway, she did not add enough engine power in an adequate time frame to prevent a hard landing. The airplane bounced and came to rest on the runway.
Subsequent inspection of the airplane revealed damage to the wing spar, fuselage, both engines, and propellers.
The pilot reported 1,788 hours of total flight experience, which included 416 hours in the same make and model as the accident airplane.
A weather observation taken at an airport located about 16 miles southwest of LNN, included: winds from 190 degrees at 16 knots, with 24 knot gusts, and a visibility of 8 statue miles with thunderstorm activity.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N497MA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-220T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3449011
- Airframe hours
- 1,234
- Engines
- Continental LTSIO-360-RBI, 220 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental TSIO-360-RBIB, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rona W. Mitrovich
- Registered owner
- Ametco Properties, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 10, 2003 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- SPA · Spartanburg, SC
- Destination
- LNN · Willoughby, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LNN · Willoughby Lost Nation Muni, runway 23, 5,028 × 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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 4, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,788 total · 416 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 16 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.70 inHg
- Observed at
- 7 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.