- Date
- May 28, 1994, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Toronto, OH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6153DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 2, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940528012889A
- Case key
- 38769
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 the nose gear collapsing and the subsequent nose over of the airplane.
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 arrived back at his departure airport after a local flight, and selected runway 16 to land on. The pilot flew the traffic pattern and landed hard on the nose wheel which collapsed. The nose wheel strut dug into the grass and the airplane nosed over. The pilot stated that he encountered severe wind shear on final. The winds reported at an airport 17 miles away were from 240 degrees at 6 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 28, 1994, about 1040 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-22, N6153D, owned and piloted by Daniel N. MacLean, was substantially damaged during landing at the Eddie Dew Memorial Airport, Toronto, Ohio. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan had not been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that after a local flight, he was enroute back to his departure airport. Arriving at his destination he flew the traffic pattern to observe the wind sock, and determined that runway 16 would be his runway of choice.
He further stated:
"...On final approach, airspeed indicated 80 mph. Just short of the threshold a severe gust of wind from the right lifted the wing. I attempted to correct the drift to the left and about 25 feet from the ground I encountered a severe wind shear or a shift of wind from the tail, at which time the aircraft dropped to the runway, the nose wheel broke off and the Oleo strut dug into the grass and upset the aircraft onto its top..."
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector who interviewed the pilot:
"...[The pilot] said that a gust of wind caught him and nosed him over into the ground. Mr. MacLean said there was a lot of turbulence at the airport the day of his crash and was a contributing factor...[the pilot] said that when you are within approximately 30 to 40 feet of the ground all the turbulence abates. I have personally flown this model aircraft and found that 75 MPH on final is a little slow for me...It is my opinion that Mr. MacLean either stalled the aircraft on final approach or developed an excessively high rate of sink that he could not arrest before landing...turbulence does not appear to have caused the accident. Mr.MacLean has relatively little flight experience and I believe that lack of experience was a contributing factor..."
The winds at an airport, 17 miles from the accident site, were reported as 240 degrees at 6 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6153D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-2400
- Airframe hours
- 2,144
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Daniel N. Mac Lean
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Provisional (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 1993 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- 4G3 · Alliance, OH
- Airport
- 1G8 · Eddie Dew Memorial, runway 16, 2,228 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 197 total · 197 in this make and model · 156 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HLG, 17 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 N6153D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.