- Date
- September 5, 1997, 20:39 local (Sep 6, 1997, 00:39 UTC)
- Place
- West Chester, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4982SPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970905047429A
- Case key
- 39429
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 misjudgment of altitude and distance to the runway, which resulted in an undershoot and failure to reach the proper touchdown point. Rising terrain at the approach end of the runway was a related factor.
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 performed a night visual approach to a 3,000 foot runway. He reported that just before touchdown, the runway lights disappeared. Power was added for a go-around, but the airplane struck rising terrain short of the runway. An FAA inspector reported that the airplane touched down about 30 feet before the end of the runway and 5 feet below the level of the runway.
Factual narrative
On September 5, 1997, about 2039 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N4982S, was substantially damaged during a hard landing at the Brandywine Airport, West Chester, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that was conducted on a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight plan. The flight originated at Columbus, Ohio, about 1810, and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot reported that he entered a left downwind for runway 27. The approach and before landing checklists were completed and as he turned final the approach was stabilized. Upon very short final the runway lights disappeared from view. The pilot added full power and pitched the nose up for a go-around. The airplane struck the terrain about 2 to 4 seconds after full power was applied and the nose pitched up. The airplane struck terrain about 15 feet below the level of the runway.
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examined the accident site and airplane. He reported that the airplane touched down about 30 feet prior to the runway, and about 5 feet below the level of the runway, on rising terrain. Both main landing gear penetrated the upper skin of the wing, were sheared off, and both wing spars were bent. The nose landing gear collapsed rearward.
The investigation revealed that runway 27 was 3,007 feet long, 50 feet wide, and had low intensity runway edge lights. The terrain at the end of the runway sloped down.
The pilot reported the winds were calm. The pilot reported his total time as 213.3 hours with 32.6 hours at night.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4982S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-35702
- Airframe hours
- 2,488
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Burnell D. Simpson II
- Registered owner
- William E. Bohrer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 24, 1996 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- CMH · Columbus, OH
- Destination
- N99
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- N99 · Brandywine, runway 27, 3,007 × 50 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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 16 in this make and model · 177 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PHL, 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.