Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary NYC98LA086

MILTON, DE, USA

Aircraft #1

N10JN

Globe SWIFT

Analysis

During the landing flare, the airplane dropped from about 10 feet above the runway and landed hard. The right main landing gear broke and penetrated the wing.

Factual Information

On March 30, 1998, about 1100 Eastern Standard Time, a Globe Swift, N10JN, was substantially damaged during landing at Eagle Crest-Hudson Airport (DE25), Milton, Delaware. Neither the certificated commercial pilot nor the passenger were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR 91. The pilot wrote that he was in the landing flare to Runway 32 with winds from 230 degrees, variable 200 to 250 degrees at 7 to 10 knots. He leveled off the airplane and, "the next thing I knew, the A/C [airplane] dropped straight down, and impacted the RW [runway]." The airplane then veered off the runway to the right and nosed over. The pilot further wrote: "In hindsight, the A/C stalled about 10 feet above the RW...I had no warning that the A/C was going to stall, and the airspeed didn't seem that slow." A Federal Aviation Administration Inspector stated that, during an interview, the pilot said the engine was operating at the time of the accident. The Inspector also stated that she observed the propeller tips to be curled, and that the fuel gauges indicated the presence of fuel. The right main landing gear was broken and driven up into the wing.

Probable Cause and Findings

improper flare by the pilot, which resulted in a hard landing.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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