On March 20, 1999, a Piper PA-34-200T (registration N5423F) operated by Armand M. Karow was involved in an aviation accident near St.petersburg, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper landing flare that resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a visual approach and landing on runway 09, the aircraft bounced. After taxiing to parking, the pilot discovered damage to the right propeller, right landing gear, fuselage wrinkles, and right wing assembly.
Incident Details
The pilot stated that the flight was cleared for a visual approach and landing on runway 09 at the destination airport. During the touchdown phase of the landing, the aircraft bounced. The pilot recovered from the bounce and subsequently taxied the aircraft to the parking ramp.
Post-Flight Inspection
Upon parking, the pilot noticed damage to the right propeller and right landing gear. Additionally, wrinkles were observed in the fuselage and the right wing assembly. The pilot reported that the approach was normal in all respects but indicated that he may have flared too high, which could have contributed to the bounce.