Piper PA34-200T N3981F

Summary

On 13 September 1990 at about 01:15 local time, a Piper PA34-200T registered N3981F was involved in an accident near Jackson, Wyoming, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 September 1990 at 01:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Jackson, Wyoming, United States

Nearest airport

Jackson Hole (JAC)

Coordinates

43.4695, -110.7605

Aircraft

Piper PA34-200T

Registration

N3981F

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Aurora → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

SEA90LA188

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT MISJUDGED THE LANDING FLARE AND LANDED HARD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

AT THE END OF A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT, THE PILOT SET UP FOR LANDING. THE GEAR WAS LOWERED AND A THREE GREE INDICATION WAS NOTED. WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PILOT FELT THE AIRPLANE WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH ON THE APPROACH AND POWER WAS REDUCED AND FULL FLAPS WERE EXTENDED. A CROSS WIND OF 10 KNOTS REQUIRED THE PILOT TO CRAB TO THE RIGHT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN RUNWAY ALLIGNMENT. AFTER CROSSING THE THRESHOLD, THE PILOT REDUCED ALL POWER AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE BOUNCED AND BECAME AIRBORNE. THE PILOT LEVELED THE AIRPLANE AND 'MILKED' IT BACK TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON ALL THREE LANDING GEAR. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED TO A STOP. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE LANDING GEAR DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.