Piper PA-32 N4468X

Summary

On 18 March 2022 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA-32 registered N4468X was involved in an accident near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States. 6 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

18 March 2022 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Carlisle Airport (N94)

Coordinates

40.1878, -77.1700

Aircraft

Piper PA-32

Registration

N4468X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hagerstown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA22LA195

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in the airplane’s empennage impacting the runway surface during landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while in the landing flare, about 5 to 7 ft above ground level, the airplane “suddenly dropped” to the ground and the airplane’s tail struck the runway. The pilot then taxied the airplane to parking uneventfully. During a subsequent inspection of the airplane, the pilot and a mechanic found that the airplane’s empennage had sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.