No fatalities

22 Apr 2008: Piper PA-46-350P — Ralph Patterson — Chapel Hill, NC

Chapel Hill, NC, United States

On 22 Apr 2008, a Piper PA-46-350P operated by Ralph Patterson was involved in an aviation accident near Chapel Hill, NC. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. Contributing to the accident was the gusty wind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A Piper PA-46-350P sustained substantial damage when the nose wheel broke off and the propeller struck the ground after the airplane ballooned twice during landing in gusty winds.

Incident Overview

The pilot of a Piper PA-46-350P reported gusty and bumpy wind conditions during the final approach to the destination airport. As the airplane crossed the threshold for runway 9, it touched down and ballooned twice. The pilot added power to avert a stall, but upon the subsequent touchdown, the nose wheel separated and the propeller struck the ground.

Damage Assessment

Post-accident examination revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and firewall. The extent of damage indicates a hard impact following the loss of the nose wheel.

Weather Conditions

At the time of the occurrence, the recorded wind was from 050 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 19 knots. These conditions align with the pilot's description of gusty and bumpy conditions.

Aircraft Information

The aircraft involved was a Piper PA-46-350P. No further details about the aircraft, such as registration or operator, were provided in the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Gusts