Piper PA32RT N4450S

Summary

On 5 May 2016 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA32RT registered N4450S was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Georgia, 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

5 May 2016 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Gainesville, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

Lee Gilmer Memorial (GVL)

Coordinates

34.2736, -83.8314

Aircraft

Piper PA32RT

Registration

N4450S

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

Gainesville → Gainesville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA222

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate descent rate during the landing flare in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing, left main landing gear collapse, and runway excursion.

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 a gust of wind caused the airplane to balloon 10 to 15 feet above the runway. The pilot further reported that the touchdown was hard, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway. An automated weather observing system, about the time of the accident, reported the wind from 310 degrees true at 14 knots, gusting to 20 knots, for the landing on runway 29. The fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.