- Date
- September 12, 1990, 19:15 local (Sep 13, 1990, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Jackson, WY
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3981FPiper PA34-200T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900912040039A
- Case key
- 41280
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 misjudged the landing flare and landed hard.
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
At the end of a cross country flight, the pilot set up for landing. The gear was lowered and a three gree indication was noted. While on final approach, the pilot felt the airplane was slightly high on the approach and power was reduced and full flaps were extended. A cross wind of 10 knots required the pilot to crab to the right in order to maintain runway allignment. After crossing the threshold, the pilot reduced all power and the main landing gear made contact with the runway. The airplane bounced and became airborne. The pilot leveled the airplane and 'milked' it back to the runway. The airplane landed hard on all three landing gear. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane skidded to a stop. Post crash inspection of the landing gear did not reveal any mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3981F
- Reported as
- Piper PA34-200T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7670325
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-E, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aurora Aviation
- Departed
- 3S2 · Aurora, OR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- JAC · Jackson Hole, runway 18, 6,299 × 150 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 483 total · 4 in this make and model · 410 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JAC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.