- Date
- July 4, 2011, 14:27 local (20:27 UTC)
- Place
- Spanish Fork, UT
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N47869Piper PA-28R-201
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 4, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
- FAA report
- 20110704013039A
- Case key
- 80994
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 landing flare, inadequate recovery from a bounced landing and failure to maintain directional control.
Findings · 3
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 he started his flare on landing and realized he was too high. He stated that he increased the throttle slightly, but the airplane still touched down hard and bounced. At this point he added full power to initiate a go around but the airplane did not climb. The airplane veered off the runway into the grass where the landing gear collapsed. There was substantial damage to the right wing, and damage to the landing gear and flaps. The density altitude at the time of the accident was 7,100 feet. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he started his flare on landing and realized he was too high. The pilot stated that he increased the throttle slightly, but the airplane still touched down hard and bounced. At this point the pilot added full power to initiate a go around but the airplane did not climb. The airplane veered off the runway into the grass where the landing gear collapsed. There was substantial damage to the right wing, and damage to the landing gear and flaps. The density altitude at the time of the accident was 7,100 feet (ft). The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47869
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7837008
- Airframe hours
- 7,114
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360 SER, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Diamond Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Allairus LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2011 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- U77 · Spanish Fork, VT
- Destination
- U77 · Spanish Fork, VT
- Airport
- U77 · Spanish Fork Airport, runway 30, 5,700 × 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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 20, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 118 total · 31 in this make and model · 86 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 97° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KPVU, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 514 KB 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.