N55378 – PIPER PA 34 – 2016-10-15 NTSB Accident Report

On October 15, 2016, a Piper PA 34 (N55378) was involved in an incident near Springfield, OH. All 5 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 inadequate compensation for gusting wind during the landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.

The pilot reported that he landed with extra power to compensate for gusting wind. He added that after the main landing gear touched down, the airplane encountered a wind gust, and ballooned up about 50 to 100 ft. The pilot initiated a go-around, but was unsuccessful. The airplane impacted the runway in a flat attitude and the nose landing gear was pushed/driven through the top of the cowling.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage.

The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA17CA047. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N55378.