No fatalities

4 Aug 2013: PIPER PA-34-200T — HIGHTAIL LLC — West Mifflin, PA

West Mifflin, PA, United States

On 4 Aug 2013, a PIPER PA-34-200T operated by HIGHTAIL LLC was involved in an aviation accident near West Mifflin, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing. 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 pilot reported turbulence and gusting winds during landing, resulting in a hard nose gear touchdown that substantially damaged the forward bulkhead. Weather data later indicated no gusts.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported experiencing turbulence and gusting winds while attempting to land at the destination airport. During the landing attempt, the aircraft touched down hard on the nose gear, causing substantial damage to the forward bulkhead. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident that would have prevented normal operation.

Weather Conditions

A review of weather data after the incident showed winds from 340 degrees at 7 knots with no gusts recorded. This contradicts the pilot's account of encountering gusting winds.

Damage Assessment

The hard landing resulted in structural damage to the forward bulkhead, which was classified as substantial. No other damage or injuries were reported.

Pilot Report

The pilot's account attributed the hard landing to turbulence and gusting winds. No additional details regarding the aircraft type, registration, or operator were provided.

Contributing factors

Landing flare — Not attained/maintainedPilot