N276 – PIPER PA-32R-300 – 2008-12-01 NTSB Accident Report

On December 01, 2008, a Piper PA-32R-300 (N276) was involved in an incident near Middletown, DE. 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 aircraft control while landing in gusty conditions.

The pilot reported that the airplane was on short final approach for landing on runway 35 when he experienced a "sudden loss of airspeed and rapid increase in descent rate that was not altered by the application of power." The airplane landed hard on the runway, all three landing gear collapsed, and the airplane slid off the left side of the runway. The wing spar and engine firewall were substantially damaged. The pilot further stated that he was flying from the right seat, which made referencing the instruments more difficult, and he "encountered windshear." The winds at an airport located 10 miles northeast of the accident airport, about the time of the accident, that were recorded as 280 degrees at 17 knots, with gusts to 34 knots.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA217. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N276.