Casualties unknown

1994-10-12: Piper PA-34-220T (N8154C) — West Valley Flying Club — Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto, CA, US

On October 12, 1994, a Piper PA-34-220T (registration N8154C) operated by West Valley Flying Club was involved in an aviation accident near Palo Alto, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's improper bounced landing recovery technique. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

During a gusty crosswind landing on runway 30, the pilot reduced power too rapidly in the flare, causing a hard landing and bounce. Insufficient elevator back pressure during recovery led to porpoising, and the nose landing gear collapsed.

Incident Summary

An aircraft experienced a hard landing and subsequent porpoising during a landing attempt on runway 30, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear.

Sequence of Events

The landing was conducted in gusty left crosswind conditions. The pilot reported that during the landing flare, he reduced power too rapidly, attributing this to his preoccupation with the crosswind. As a result, the aircraft contacted the runway hard on the main landing gear and bounced.

During the bounce recovery, the pilot stated that he did not apply sufficient back pressure on the elevator control. This led to a porpoising motion, characterized by several oscillations of the aircraft.

Following these oscillations, the nose landing gear collapsed.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001206X02473. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.