- Date
- July 14, 2009, 07:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tucson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3953TPiper PA-28R-180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090714018009A
- Case key
- 74289
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
A hard landing or abnormal runway contact by one or both pilots.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that prior to the flight he checked the weather, and preflighted the airplane. The pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) took off and conducted a series of practice flight maneuvers for his commercial pilot's license. After completing the maneuvers, the pilot and CFI returned to the airport to practice five landings then taxi the airplane to the parking area. After parking the airplane, a crack was observed on the wing above the right landing gear aft mount. Further examination of the airframe revealed the upper right wing and right main landing gear attachment point were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane's airframe or engine prior to the incident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that prior to the flight he checked the weather, and preflighted the airplane. The pilot and a certified flight instructor (CFI) took off and conducted a series of practice flight maneuvers for his commercial pilot's license. After completing the maneuvers, the pilot and CFI returned to the airport to practice five landings then taxi the airplane to the parking area. After parking the airplane, a crack was observed on the wing above the right landing gear aft mount. Further examination of the airframe revealed the upper right wing and right main landing gear attachment point were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane's airframe or engine prior to the incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3953T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-30296
- Airframe hours
- 6,100
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- New Mexico Flying Eagle Inc.
- Registered owner
- Amalong Timothy M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 6, 2009 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Destination
- TUS · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- TUS · Tucson International Airport, runway 11R, 8,408 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 724 total · 22 in this make and model · 518 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 30, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,617 total · 124 in this make and model · 1,533 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Observed at
- TUS
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 19, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.