PIPER PA-32-301
Valdosta, GA — February 2, 2015
Event Information
| Date | February 2, 2015 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ERA15CA117 |
| Event ID | 20150203X31110 |
| Location | Valdosta, GA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 30.78139, -83.27611 |
| Airport | Valdosta Regional |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | PIPER |
| Model | PA-32-301 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 4 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to compensate for gusty wind conditions during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent nose landing gear collapse.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing the airplane in turbulent conditions with gusting wind. He stated that during the landing flare, the airplane encountered an updraft, followed immediately by a downdraft. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway and the nose landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Review of archived weather information for the accident airport about the time of the accident revealed variable wind at 9 knots with gusts to 19 knots.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.