- Date
- July 21, 2012, 19:00 local (Jul 22, 2012, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Yelm, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Post-impact
- Aircraft
- N8574YPiper PA-30
- Defining event
- Post-impact: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120721013819A
- Case key
- 84415
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 failure to maintain an adequate airspeed on approach and his inadequate flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 was landing the twin-engine airplane on the runway, which was bordered by trees. After the airplane cleared the trees on the approach, he "pointed the airplane down." About 50 feet above the ground, the pilot began a flare for landing; however, the airplane did not respond and continued to descend at a steep rate until it impacted the runway’s displaced threshold. The airplane subsequently veered off the right side of the runway. During the accident sequence, the right main gear and nose gear collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. The pilot later reported that he allowed the airplane to get too slow on the approach. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing the twin-engine airplane on the 2,845-foot-long, hard surfaced runway, which was bordered by trees. After the airplane cleared the trees on the approach, he “…pointed the airplane down.” Approximately 50 feet above the ground the pilot began a flare for landing; however, the airplane did not respond and continued to descend at a steep rate until it impacted the runway’s displaced threshold. The airplane subsequently veered off the right side of the runway. During the accident sequence, the right main gear and nose gear collapsed which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing and empennage. The pilot later reported that he allowed the airplane to get too slow on approach. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8574Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-1725
- Airframe hours
- 4,210
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Callon David G
- Registered owner
- Callon David G
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2012 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- TDO · Toledo, WA
- Destination
- 06WN · Yelm, WA
- Airport
- 06WN · Western Airpark, runway 09, 2,845 × 30 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,051 total · 775 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 4, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 140 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.