Piper PA-46-350P N561C

Summary

On 9 October 2013 at about 14:00 local time, a Piper PA-46-350P registered N561C, operated by Greene Michael E, was involved in an accident near Xenia, Ohio, United States. 2 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

9 October 2013 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Xenia, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Greene County Regional Airport (I19)

Coordinates

39.6911, -83.9919

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-350P

Registration

N561C

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Greene Michael E

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Auburn → Xenia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA006

Nobody was injured.

The nose landing gear failure as a result of a fatigue fracture of the engine mount nose gear actuator feet in an area detailed in a service bulletin. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s inadequate completion of the inspection specified in the service bulletin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that when the nosewheel touched the runway during landing, the airplane began to pull quickly to the left. He applied right brake and pulled back on the yoke, but the airplane continued to veer off the left side of the runway. The airplane traveled about 500 feet before the nose gear collapsed back into the wheel well, and the airplane's nose and propeller impacted the ground. The postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the engine mount in the area of the nose gear actuator feet was fractured. As a result of similar accidents, Piper Aircraft had previously issued a Mandatory Service Bulletin (SB) No. 1103D on February 2, 2011. The purpose of the 100-hour recurring inspection specified in SB 1103D was to determine if cracks had developed on the engine mount in the area of the nose gear actuator feet. The accident occurred about 81 hours of time in service after the SB 1103D was complied with. The postaccident examination of the engine mount revealed that the paint around the engine mount attach feet area was only partially removed and not as specified in the SB. A microscopic examination of the right foot of the engine mount revealed that there were fracture features indicative of fatigue progression in many areas. Although the paint removal was not as thorough as specified in the SB, the area where the fatigue fracture was located was in the area where the paint had been removed and should have been detectable during the inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.