Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Zephyrhills Muni Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Zephyrhills, Florida 33540
Saturday, January 18, 2014 12:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that he was landing on runway 4 with surface wind from 275 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots. The approach was normal, but the airplane touched down long. A gust of wind lifted the left wing high while the pilot input full left aileron controls. He added power while attempting to recover, but the left wing descended, and the left main landing gear subsequently collapsed when the airplane landed hard, which resulted in structural damage to the lower fuselage. The airplane ground looped around the failed gear and came to a stop. The pilot reported that the main gear safety cable, which was designed to prevent airframe damage in the event of a failed main gear bungee, had malfunctioned. A postaccident examination of the braided steel cable revealed that it failed in tension overload, and no evidence of a preimpact anomaly was found. The cable attachment points were secure. The main landing gear bungees were severed. Although the position of the cable before the hard landing could not be determined due to airplane and landing gear damage, the safety cable likely severed the main landing gear bungees during the accident sequence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing that produced forces beyond the structural capability of the airframe.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/18/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1200 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Zephyrhills |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33540 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 281341N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0820921W |
| Event Location Airport | ZEPHYRHILLS MUNI |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ZPH |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 135 |
| Airport Elevation | 90 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1235 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ZPH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 90 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.26 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KZPH 181735Z AUTO 34010G19KT 10SM CLR 12/M13 |
| 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) | 32945 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 27 2014 4:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3668N |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA103 |
| 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-12 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 12-1919 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 18 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 1282 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CONNORS SEAN P |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4313 COVE DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | PALM HARBOR |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 346852362 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | CONNORS SEAN P |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 4313 COVE DR |
| Operator City | PALM HARBOR |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 346852362 |
| 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 | X39 |
| Departure City | Tampa |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | ZPH |
| Destination City | Zephyrhills |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 27 2014 4:16PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 04 |
| Runway Length | 4999 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |