Piper PA-32R-301 N821RR

Summary

On 8 June 1996 at about 10:45 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301 registered N821RR was involved in an accident near San Juan. 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

8 June 1996 at 10:45

Classification

Accident

Location

San Juan

Nearest airport

Fernando Luis Ribas Domin (SIG)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301

Registration

N821RR

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA96LA152

Nobody was injured.

Failure of the student pilot to maintain the proper descent rate resulting in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was: the failure of other maintenance personnel to remove tape that was placed by company personnel over each static port before washing the airplane, inadequate preflight of the airplane by the student pilot, his failure to activate the alternate static source, and his lack of total experience in make and model airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Two days before the accident, tape had been placed over each static port in preparation for washing the airplane. The person who placed the tape and the person who washed the airplane did not remove the tape after the airplane had been washed. During the preflight inspection of the airplane, the student pilot did not observe or remove the tape covering each static port. The airplane preflight inspection checklist indicates that each static port is required to be inspected to verify each is clear. The flight departed to perform touch-and-go landings and during the downwind leg, the airspeed indicator indicated 0. The pilot stated he lowered the landing gear via the normal method but the gear indicator lights circuit breaker popped several times while in the pattern. Witnesses reported hearing the airplane flying in the traffic pattern at near full power. The pilot flew over the runway and remained in the pattern. While on final approach during the second pattern, all gear indicator lights indicated that the gear was down and locked. The airplane landed hard causing all three gears to collapse and the nose baggage door to open. Flight tests confirm that the airspeed indicator would indicate during the takeoff roll until the flight was about 400 feet above ground level at which time the airspeed indicator would indicate 0. The pilot had a total of 3.6 hours total solo time in the accident airplane and no more than 15 solo landings. He did not activate the equipped alternate static source.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.