Piper PA-34-220T N5359J

Summary

On 16 July 2003 at about 17:05 local time, a Piper PA-34-220T registered N5359J was involved in an accident near Port Huron, Michigan, 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

16 July 2003 at 17:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Huron, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

St Clair County Intl (PHN)

Coordinates

42.9108, -82.5289

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-220T

Registration

N5359J

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Port Huron

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI03LA279

Nobody was injured.

The pilot misjudging the flare during landing, and his inadequate remedial action resulting in the inadvertent porpoise of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was damaged during a hard landing on runway 28. The pilot reported that the landing approach was normal. He reported that at touchdown on the main landing gear, wind gusts changed and caused the airplane to bounce off of the nose gear. The pilot attempted to settle the airplane back on the main gear, but it bounced higher and continued bouncing at least three more times veering to the left and in the grass. The weather reporting station located at the accident airport recorded the wind as 330 degrees at 6 knots. No gusts were recorded.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.