JEAN, NV, USA
N410DS
PIPER PA-34-200
THE PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED WITH FIVE PASSENGERS ON A RETURN FLIGHT TO HIS HOME BASE IN THE RENTED AIRPLANE. THE FLIGHT WAS LEVEL AT 8500 FEET MSL WHEN THE PILOT NOTICED THE LEFT INBOARD FRONT COWL FASTENER WAS UNLATCHED. THE PILOT, WHO WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT ADVISORIES FROM TRACON, REQUESTED THE NEAREST AIRPORT FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. HE WAS DIRECTED TO A GRAVEL RUNWAY 4500 FEET LONG. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS PLANNING A SHORT FIELD LANDING ON RUNWAY 02. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD SHEARING OFF BOTH MAIN LANDING GEARS AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE GEAR. THE WINDS AT THE TIME WERE FROM 020 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD 8 HOURS OF MULTIENGINE TIME AS PILOT IN COMMAND, FOR A TOTAL MULTIENGINE TIME OF 19 HOURS, ALL OF WHICH WERE ACCRUED IN ABOUT THE LAST 90 DAYS
On May 17, 1993, at about 1150 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA 34 200, N410DS, landed hard during the termination of a precautionary landing at Jean, Nevada. The pilot performed the precautionary landing because of a loose engine cowling fastener. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and his five passengers were not injured. The pilot rented the airplane for the cross country, personal flight from the operator, Air Desert Pacific of La Verne, California. The flight departed Las Vegas, Nevada, at 1120 hours PDT, and was destined for La Verne. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The pilot was interviewed by an FAA safety inspector. He told the safety inspector that he was southbound in cruise flight at 8,500 feet mean sea level when he noticed the left engine front inboard cowl fastener was loose. The pilot contacted FAA Las Vegas departure control and requested directions to the nearest airport to perform a precautionary landing. Las Vegas departure control advised the pilot that Jean, Nevada, was to the left of his current position. The aircraft landed hard on runway 02 at Jean. The airplane's main landing gear was sheared off and the nose landing gear collapsed. The winds at the time were estimated to be from 020 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 20 knots. The pilot had trained for and received his multiengine certificate all within the past 90 days prior to the accident. He reported a total multiengine time of 19 hours with 8 hours of that as pilot in command. The pilot reported a total flight time of 331 hours.
1) THE PILOTS INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT, 2) HIS FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FOR THE EXISTING GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS, AND, 3) HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE LANDING APPROACH AIRSPEED. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOTS LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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