On May 20, 2004, a Piper PA-32-260 (registration N3331W) operated by Ricky C. Unger was involved in an aviation accident near Venice, FL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the pilot to recover from an improper landing flare resulting in his failure to maintain airspeed (Vs), an inadvertant stall, loss of control, and inflight collision with terrain during an uncontrolled descent. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot's wife witnessed touch-and-go landings at Venice Airport. During landing approach, the aircraft lifted, rolled right, then left. No mechanical or medical causes found.
Accident Sequence
At the time of the accident, the pilot's wife was at Venice Airport near the hangar where the airplane was kept. She observed her husband performing touch-and-go landings on runway 22. On the final approach, the airplane did not touch down. As it neared the runway, the aircraft lifted slightly to about the height of a 2½-story building. The right wing then raised, and the left wing dropped. The wife stopped watching and ran to another hangar to call for help. She did not recall the engine sounds. Other airplanes had taken off before but had left the area, and no other aircraft were flying at the time of the accident.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the wreckage revealed no discrepancies with the aircraft structure, flight controls, aircraft systems, engine assembly, engine components, or propeller. A postmortem examination of the pilot and toxicology testing showed no evidence considered causal to the accident.