Piper PA-34-200T N551N

Summary

On 2 August 2009 at about 16:00 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T registered N551N was involved in an accident near Lincoln Park, New Jersey, United States. 3 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

2 August 2009 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lincoln Park, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Lincoln Park Airport (N07)

Coordinates

40.9475, -74.3144

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200T

Registration

N551N

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Morrisville → Lincoln Park

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA437

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and the subsequent collapse of the landing gear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that because the runway was wet, he was "determined to touch down as close to the approach end as possible." On landing, the airplane bounced, and the nose and main landing gear subsequently collapsed. The airplane came to rest on the runway, approximately 1,700 feet beyond the landing threshold, and sustained substantial damage. An airport surveillance video camera captured the accident sequence. Review of the video indicated that the airplane first contacted the runway just beyond the displaced threshold, in a flat attitude, with no flare or float. The airplane bounced and re-contacted the runway on its nose landing gear, which then collapsed. This was followed by a series of rapid, large-amplitude pitch oscillations, and collapse of the main gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.