N5423F

On March 20, 1999, at 1500 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-34-200T, N5423F, collided with the ground during a landing at the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport in Tampa, Florida. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial airframe damage. The flight departed Newnan-Coweta County Airport, in Newnan, Georgia, at 1200.

The pilot reported that the flight was cleared for a visual approach and landing on runway 09 at St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport. During the touchdown phase of the landing, the aircraft bounced. The pilot recovered from the bounce and taxied to the parking ramp. During the pilot's post-landing walk-around inspection of the airplane, the pilot noticed that the right propeller and right landing gear had been was damaged. Also, there were wrinkles in the fuselage and the right wing assembly.

The partial tear down of the right wing revealed that there was substantial damage to the ribs throughout the right wing. There was also major distortion and a separation/splitting of the aft wing spar, aft of the main landing gear. The wing was determined to be non repairable by technicians at National Aviation maintenance facility. The pilot reported that the approach profile was normal and there were no mechanical problems with the plane. The pilot also reported that he may have flared too high for touchdown.