On December 21, 1997, a Piper PA-24-260 (registration N8805P) was involved in an aviation accident near Healdsburg, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: the pilot's misjudged distance and altitude relationship to the runway during a short field approach, which resulted in an undershoot and a hard landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
On a short field approach, the pilot increased airspeed due to blowing winds, then encountered wind shear on short final. Despite applying power and back pressure, the aircraft landed short, collapsing the nose gear.
Incident Details
The pilot was conducting a short field approach and had adjusted the airspeed above the recommended approach speed in response to blowing winds. During the final approach, the pilot reported encountering wind shear. While power was applied and back pressure increased, these actions were not sufficient to prevent the aircraft from touching down short of the runway surface. The nose gear subsequently collapsed, and the aircraft slid to a stop.
Background Information
A designated pilot examiner later noted that the pilot had failed his initial commercial flight test six days prior to the incident. During that test, the pilot had executed a short field approach that was assessed as too high and too fast, resulting in a landing that was too long to meet the required standards.
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