Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28-180 near Chesapeake, VA — 2026-05-28

Final reportERA26LA220
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Date
2026-05-28
Location
Chesapeake, VA, USA
Airport
PVG
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28-180
Registration
N55739
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s improper decision to continue with an unstabilized approach, which resulted in a hard landing, loss of directional control, and collision with a runway marker light and sign.

NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he made an unstable approach, after which the airplane landed hard and bounced. A gust of wind caught the airplane’s right wing during the bounce and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The left wing collided with a runway marker light and a directional sign, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing spar and punctured the fuel tank. The pilot was able to get the airplane back on the runway and aborted the landing. Once airborne, he smelled fuel, declared an emergency and landed without further incident. The pilot reported there were no mechanical issues that contributed to the accident and that he should have gone around versus trying to force a landing.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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