Incident Overview
On September 2, 2019, at approximately 1020 central daylight time, a Piper PA-60 Aerostar airplane, registration N1R, experienced a hard landing on runway 36L at Tulsa International Airport (TUL), Tulsa, Oklahoma. The aircraft, which was registered to CBU Aviation LLC and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight, sustained substantial damage during the event. The pilot and the sole passenger were not injured.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Rogers Executive Airport (ROG) in Rogers, Arkansas, about 0945 and was destined for TUL. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport, and the flight was conducted under an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot's report, a normal approach was flown to runway 36L. However, the pilot initiated the landing flare too high. As a result, the airplane stalled and dropped approximately 10 feet, causing the nose landing gear to collapse. The aircraft came to rest on an adjacent taxiway. The pilot had verified that the landing gear was down and locked, noting three green indicator panel lights before landing.
Aircraft Damage
The collapse of the nose landing gear resulted in damage to the forward pressure bulkhead. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Pilot Statement
The pilot stated that the accident was "not caused by any apparent mechanical failures."