Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aransas County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rockport, Texas 78382
Saturday, June 2, 2007 15:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 196-hour private pilot stated that upon touchdown the airplane felt "spongy or squirrelly" and a propeller strike occurred. The pilot added that after touchdown, he pulled back on the controls to raise the nose of the airplane. When the airplane settled back on the runway, it immediately "pulled to the right," and the right wing struck and came to rest on the runway. Examination of the airframe revealed an approximately a one-foot square hole on the upper wing skin of the right wing with the support structure of the right landing gear protruding-up and through the wing skin. An inspection of the wing did not find any rust/corrosion on the landing gear strut or surrounding structure and there was no evidence of premature failure of the landing gear strut attachment points. The left main and nose landing gear were in the down and locked position. A check of the runway found propeller strike marks 1,000 feet from the approach end of the runway and about 6 inches to the right of the runway centerline. In the area of the propeller marks, portions of the propeller seals and rings were found. No other scrapes or marks were found in this area, relating to the airplane. About 1,000 feet further down the runway, on the right side and prior to the right wingtip scar, was a landing gear tire scuffmark. Photographs taken of the airplane reveal that, with the left main and nose wheel landing gear extended, it is not possible for the airplane's 3-blade propeller to make contact with the ground. The investigation determined that the landing gear was in the retracted position when the propeller strikes occurred, and the landing gear was extended when the pilot raised the nose. The right main landing gear strut was pushed through the top of the wing during the subsequent hard landing. The airport manager reported that the runway's surface was totally resurfaced less than 3 months prior to the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilots improper landing flare which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing factors were the pilot's delayed actions to abort a wheels-up landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/2/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rockport |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78382 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 280513N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0970240W |
| Event Location Airport | Aransas County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RKP |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 24 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1353 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RKP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 24 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.85 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 22143 |
| NTSB Notification Source | SAT FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 12 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 30 2007 12:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | San Antonio, Texas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4977S |
| NTSB Number | DFW07LA158 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-35696 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2900 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Michael Matheaus |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1201 Haberle Road |
| Aircraft Owner City | Sequin |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78155 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BAZ |
| Departure City | NEW BRAUNFELS |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RKP |
| Destination City | Rockport |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Taxi - from landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 13 2007 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 5608 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |