Piper PA-28-181 N348TF

Summary

On 31 December 2006 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-181 registered N348TF was involved in an accident near Cumberland, Maryland, 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

31 December 2006 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Cumberland, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Greater Cumberland Reg Airport (CBE)

Coordinates

39.6191, -78.7606

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-181

Registration

N348TF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cumberland → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC07CA053

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's misjudgment of the airplane's distance/altitude during the landing approach.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot/owner of the Piper PA-28-181 turned onto the final leg of the "routine" approach to the runway, with the flaps fully extended and engine power at idle. He noted that he saw four white lights on the precision approach path indicator (PAPI), and about 1/2 miles from the runway threshold, he saw two white and two red lights on the PAPI. The pilot thought that he was "a bit low," but believed the airplane would be able to reach the runway; however, the airplane touched down about 30 feet before the runway threshold. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear struck the edge of the runway pavement and collapsed. The pilot further stated, "What I should have done when it appeared that I was low on [the] approach and getting lower was to add power."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.