Piper PA28 N2204B

Summary

On 30 July 2017 at about 02:15 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N2204B was involved in an accident near St. Joseph, Illinois, 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

30 July 2017 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Joseph, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Routh (9IL2)

Coordinates

40.0650, -88.0253

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N2204B

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oshkosh → St. Joseph

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

GAA17CA452

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing and subsequent loss of directional control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while landing at night, the threshold and right side runway lights were out of service at the airport. He added that he "must have been closer [to the ground] than [he] estimated" on approach because the airplane landed flat. Subsequently, the nose landing gear collapsed, the airplane veered left, and he attempted to correct with right rudder. The airplane came to rest left of the runway in an adjacent cornfield. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.