Piper PA-34-200 CGHFD

Summary

On 20 December 1998 at about 00:50 local time, a Piper PA-34-200 registered CGHFD was involved in an accident near Bellingham, Washington, United States. One person was 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

20 December 1998 at 00:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Bellingham, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Bellingham (KBLI)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200

Registration

CGHFD

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Chilliwak → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA99LA023

Nobody was injured.

A hard landing due to the pilot's failure to maintain a proper descent rate. Factors include gusts and turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot noted that he was on approach to the runway and about 30' to 50' above ground when he encountered a wind shear downdraft so severe that all loose things in the cockpit flew up to the ceiling. He believed that he must have been crabbing at the time of touchdown, and the side forces at the time of the landing broke the right main landing gear above the wheel/axle casting. The airplane sustained buckling of the right wing and buckling at the rear of the cabin. Control tower personnel who observed the landing characterized it as a very hard landing. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, however winds were at 30 knots, gusting to 41 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.