Piper PA 28-180 N7374W

Summary

On 17 April 2015 at about 20:20 local time, a Piper PA 28-180 registered N7374W, operated by Novak James F, was involved in an accident near Deer Lodge, Montana, 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

17 April 2015 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Deer Lodge, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Deer Lodge-City-County (38S)

Coordinates

46.3831, -112.7603

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-180

Registration

N7374W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1963

Engines

1

Operator

Novak James F

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anaconda → Deer Lodge

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA15CA050

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a loss of control and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during the landing flare he began to porpoise, on the second porpoise he encountered what he believed was a crosswind. He added full power to abort the landing, and subsequently the airplane impacted a ditch, which resulted in the right landing gear and nose wheel being separated from the airplane and substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.