Accident Overview
On October 19, 2006, at approximately 14:32 Japan Standard Time, a privately operated Piper PA-28R-200, registration JA3743, sustained damage during landing at Fukushima Skypark Airstrip in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The aircraft was on a leisure flight from Yamagata Airport with only the pilot-in-command (PIC) on board. There were no injuries to the occupant, and no fire occurred. The aircraft sustained medium-level damage.
Flight History
According to the PIC's interview, he had been flying the aircraft for about 15 years and used Fukushima Skypark as his base since 2004. On the day of the accident, he was informed by Fukushima Flight Service that wind was calm. He entered the downwind leg from the east side and made a steeper than normal approach to runway 14. The throttle was not completely closed, and speed was approximately 85 to 90 mph. During final approach, flaps were set to full (40°). The PIC stated that when windy, there is a tendency to be pulled down towards valleys near the approach path, so he usually took a steeper approach. On the accident day, wind was calm and no pull-down occurred. Before landing, the aircraft was slightly banked to the right, but the PIC considered it negligible. He flared slightly too early, causing a stall without feeling ground effect, resulting in a hard landing on runway 14. After impact, the PIC taxied the aircraft to the apron under its own power. Upon disembarking, he observed cracks on the upper surface of the right wing. He inspected the aircraft with a maintenance engineer and found damage that he thought would be classified as major repair.
An eyewitness, a staff member of the Fukushima Skypark management office, reported that the flare appeared to have been made at slightly high altitude and the touchdown point was slightly farther. The witness did not recall any bank before touchdown and noted no swirling winds during the landing period.
Crew and Aircraft Information
The PIC was a 63-year-old male holding a private pilot certificate (airplane) issued on March 29, 1991, with a rating for single-engine landplanes. He held a valid second-class aviation medical certificate. His total flight time was 1,396 hours and 20 minutes, with approximately 800 hours on the accident aircraft type.
The aircraft was a Piper PA-28R-200 (serial number 28R-7535237), manufactured on April 30, 1975. It had a valid certificate of airworthiness (No. To-17-652) and was in the normal category. Total time in service was 2,784 hours and 30 minutes. The last periodic check (50-hour) was conducted on July 9, 2006, 31 hours and 5 minutes before the accident. At the time of the accident, weight and balance were estimated to be within allowable limits.
Meteorological Conditions
Weather observed by the Fukushima Skypark management office at 14:00 indicated wind direction 060° at 2 knots, visibility 10 km or more.
Accident Site and Damage
Fukushima Skypark Airstrip is located in a mountainous area at an elevation of approximately 1,320 ft (400 m) above mean sea level. The runway, oriented 14/32, is 800 m long and 25 m wide, paved with asphalt, with 60 m overrun areas at each end. There are no PAPI, aiming point markings, or touchdown zone markings. Due to a mountain to the west, only the traffic pattern on the northeast side is used. Deep valleys lie under the approach course for both runway directions.
The aircraft's right wing sustained damage to portions of the main structural members around the area where the right main landing gear was fitted. The upper surface of the right wing was cracked and wrinkled.
Analysis
The PIC held valid certificates. The aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate and was properly maintained. No abnormalities were found on the aircraft prior to the accident. All damage was estimated to have been caused by the impact of the hard landing. Weather conditions were not considered a contributing factor.
Based on the PIC's account and the damage, it is estimated that the aircraft had a rate of descent greater than normal at touchdown. The aircraft approached runway 14 with a slightly steeper angle than normal, and the PIC's slightly early flare led to a hard landing from a slightly higher point, with inappropriate speed control. The slight right bank before touchdown likely caused the right main landing gear to contact first, concentrating impact loads on the right wing's gear fitting area, resulting in structural damage. Additionally, deterioration due to aging (the aircraft was over 31 years old) may have contributed to the damage, though the main landing gear remained intact.
Probable Cause
The accident was estimated to have been caused by an inappropriate flare performed by the PIC, which resulted in touchdown at a large rate of descent and subsequent damage to the aircraft.