Summary
On May 10, 2008, a Piper PA-34 (N103JH) was involved in an incident near Blythe, CA. All 3 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he made a normal approach to runway 26 and touched down at 95 miles per hour (mph). After decelerating to 70 mph, the airplane unexpectedly began drifting to the left. The pilot corrected the airplane to the right towards the centerline. The airplane crossed the centerline and continued to the right. He stated that the airplane's movement was not in proportion to his control inputs. He tried to correct the airplane back to the left, and it entered an out-of-control side skid on the runway. At 15 mph, the right main landing gear collapsed, followed by the left main and nose gear.
This incident is documented in NTSB report LAX08CA157. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N103JH.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he made a normal approach to runway 26 and touched down at 95 miles per hour (mph). After decelerating to 70 mph, the airplane unexpectedly began drifting to the left. The pilot corrected the airplane to the right towards the centerline. The airplane crossed the centerline and continued to the right. He stated that the airplane's movement was not in proportion to his control inputs. He tried to correct the airplane back to the left, and it entered an out-of-control side skid on the runway. At 15 mph, the right main landing gear collapsed, followed by the left main and nose gear. The airplane stopped on a heading of 104 degrees, left of the runway centerline.
At 1353, the Blyth ASOS (Automated Surface Observation System) recorded winds from 090 at 4 knots.
The pilot reported that the airplane had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# LAX08CA157