Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Irving, Texas
Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf
Location: Mount Pleasant, TX
Accident Number: CEN20TA025
Date & Time: 11/25/2019, 1610 CST
Registration: N15412
Aircraft: Piper PA34
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional
On November 25, 2019, about 1610, a Piper PA34-200 airplane, N15412, landed hard on the nose landing gear at Mount Pleasant Regional Airport, (OSA), Mount Pleasant, Texas. The flight instructor and pilot under instruction were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by US Aviation Group LLC, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan had been filed. The cross-country flight originated from Denton Enterprise Airport (DTO), Denton, Texas, about 1510.
A company mechanic stated that before the accident flight he was called out to the airplane for maintenance and when he arrived, he noticed the nose gear strut was extended too far. He released some nitrogen pressure from the strut and lowered it to 2.8 inches of extension, which was within proper tolerance.
According to the flight instructor (CFI), during the preflight inspection the nose gear strut appeared to be extended more than normal so they called a company mechanic to the asses the issue. He stated that the mechanic released pressure in the nose strut which resulted in the strut lowering to a normal position. The pilot stated that during the flight the airplane and landing gear were operating normally. The pilot receiving instruction was in the left seat and was manipulating the flight controls and the CFI was in the right seat. Before landing the pilot stated that he confirmed the landing gear were down and locked. The CFI stated that during the landing the airplane touched down on the runway with the main landing gear first and then the nose gear touched down and felt like it had a flat tire. The airplane bounced and landed again and the nose gear strut came through the windscreen between the two pilots. He added that it was an extremely sudden and very unexpected movement from the nose gear.
The CFI stated that he had accumulated 15 flight hours in the accident airplane make and model. He added that the accident flight was his first flight in the accident airplane.
The pilot receiving instruction stated that during the landing the main landing gear touched first and then the nose gear; the airplane bounced into the air about 5 ft. He stated that the CFI took control of the airplane after the bounce. The pilot receiving instruction had flown the accident airplane for a total of 3 flights and 3.9 hours, not including the accident flight. One lesson before the accident flight he had completed 3 to 4 good landings with no bounces.
One witness, who was an OSA airport employee, observed the approach and landing. He stated that the airplane landed on the nose wheel first while the main landing gear were still about one foot off the runway. The airplane bounced into the air then landed hard on the nose wheel again. The airplane slid on the runway and came to rest upright about 1,000 ft later.
Another witness, who is a pilot and has his airplane hangared at OSA, observed the approach and landing. He stated that the airplane was very fast on final approach and landed fairly flat on the first landing attempt. The airplane bounced into the air about 10 to 15 ft then landed on the nose landing gear. The airplane bounced a final time and came down directly on the nose landing gear. The airplane hit the runway hard and the nose strut collapsed into the firewall and windscreen.
Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information
Aircraft Make: Piper
Registration: N15412
Model/Series: PA34 200
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: US Aviation Group LLC
Operating Certificate(s) Held: Pilot School (141)
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KOSA, 363 ft msl
Observation Time:
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm / ,
Lowest Ceiling:
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting:
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Denton, TX (DTO)
Destination: Mount Pleasant, TX (OSA)
Wreckage and Impact Information
Crew Injuries: 2 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None
Latitude, Longitude: 33.094167, -94.961389 (est)
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