No fatalities

9 Mar 2009: PIPER PA-42 — On Demand Air Taxi — Belmar, NJ

Belmar, NJ, United States

On 9 Mar 2009, a PIPER PA-42 operated by On Demand Air Taxi was involved in an aviation accident near Belmar, NJ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a VOR-A approach in IMC, the flying pilot made a corrective turn with a slightly aggressive bank angle and reduced power, resulting in an excessive sink rate. The aircraft impacted the runway, collapsing the left main landing gear, and came to rest off the left side of the runway.

Flight History

The flight proceeded normally in instrument meteorological conditions, and the VOR-A approach was flown. Visual contact with the airport was made between 1 and 2 miles from the airport, and the pilot circled to land on runway 14.

Accident Details

When the aircraft was between 200 and 300 feet AGL, the pilot corrected his turn to final with a "slightly aggressive bank angle" while simultaneously reducing power, resulting in an excessive sink rate. He rolled the wings to level and increased power. He was not able to arrest the sink rate before the aircraft impacted the runway. The impact collapsed the left main landing gear and caused the airplane to swerve left. The airplane came to rest approximately 1000 feet beyond the threshold off the left side of the runway.

Pilot Information

The pilot in the right seat stated that he was the "flying pilot" at the time of the accident. He had 20 hours in the make and model of the accident aircraft as pilot in command (PIC), with 3 hours being in the preceding 90 days.

Aircraft Damage

The nose landing gear, right landing gear, left nacelle, wing and wing control surfaces also sustained damage during the accident sequence as the airplane departed the runway.

Contributing factors

Incorrect use/operationPilot