Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-12 near Zephyrhills, FL — 2014-01-18

Final reportERA14LA103
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Date
2014-01-18
Location
Zephyrhills, FL, USA
Airport
ZPH
Aircraft
PIPER PA-12
Registration
N3668N
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing that produced forces beyond the structural capability of the airframe.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was landing on runway 4 with surface wind from 275 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. The approach was normal, but the airplane touched down long. A gust of wind lifted the left wing high while the pilot input full left aileron controls. He added power while attempting to recover, but the left wing descended, and the left main landing gear subsequently collapsed when the airplane landed hard, which resulted in structural damage to the lower fuselage. The airplane ground looped around the failed gear and came to a stop. The pilot reported that the main gear safety cable, which was designed to prevent airframe damage in the event of a failed main gear bungee, had malfunctioned. A postaccident examination of the braided steel cable revealed that it failed in tension overload, and no evidence of a preimpact anomaly was found. The cable attachment points were secure. The main landing gear bungees were severed. Although the position of the cable before the hard landing could not be determined due to airplane and landing gear damage, the safety cable likely severed the main landing gear bungees during the accident sequence.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing due to tailwind and gusty conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

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