N6391R

On September 7, 1997, at 1800 eastern daylight time (edt), a Piper PA-28-140, N6391R, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when on landing the airplane impacted on a sod runway. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. There was no flight plan on file. The pilot and two passengers on board reported minor injuries. The local flight originated at Grant, Michigan, at 1730 edt.

In his written statement, the pilot said that he lined up on the runway for landing at Grant Airport, Michigan. "I was focusing on landing on the end of the runway and was going to touch down near the approach end. I failed to flare at a high enough altitude and struck the ground very hard and bounced back into the air. The plane bounced twice more before stalling and landing on the nose gear. The nose gear broke and the airplane came to rest about half way down the runway."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the wreckage found damage to the airplane's forward fuselage and cowling. The engine was pushed upward. The cowling was buckled upward and aft. The nose wheel was broken off of the airplane. The underside of the forward fuselage was crushed inward and aft.

The propeller showed torsional bending and chordwise scratches. Flight control continuity was confirmed. No anomalies were found with the engine, controls or other airplane systems.