Piper Comanche Reportedly Bounced "Out Of Control" On Landing

The NTSB has released a preliminary report for an accident which occurred in La Point, WI, involving a 1965 Piper Comanche which fatally injured the two people on board.

According to the report, the airplane was based at the La Crosse Municipal Airport (LSE), near La Crosse, Wisconsin. According to initial information from the FAA, the airplane departed from LSE at 1102. An entry in an airport visitor’s log at ASX showed that the pilot signed in on June 15, 2013, at time unknown. The entry showed that the flight was a recreational flight, which departed from LSE with two occupants on board. That entry did not have a destination listed. Airport fueling records at ASX were reviewed and no fuel services were rendered to the pilot representing N8815P.

A witness at 4R5 stated that he heard an airplane engine, heard "squealing," and heard sounds like screeching tires. He looked at the runway and saw the airplane bouncing “out of control” on the runway. It appeared that the airplane flew in from the north east and was attempting to land. The airplane subsequently "went to full throttle" and pitched up to about 45 degrees where it started climbing. The witness saw the airplane fly to the right and he thought it was going to circle around to attempt another landing. He turned around and subsequently heard an explosion. He looked back, saw a plume of black smoke, and called 911.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate, with an airplane single engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot's most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 29, 2012. The pilot’s medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses. He reported that he had accumulated 1500 hours of total flight time at the time of the application for that medical certificate and that he had accumulated 50 hours of flight time during the six months prior to that application.

The pilot rated passenger held a private pilot certificate with a single engine land rating. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on June 6, 2006. His medical certificate had a limitation for corrective lenses for near vision. He reported that he had accumulated 280 hours of total flight time at the time of the application for that medical certificate and that he had accumulated 8 hours of flight time during the six months prior to that application.

The airplane impacted a wooded area about one-half nautical mile southwest of runway 22’s threshold. Tree branches were broken in a linear path and that path downward through the trees was nearly vertical to where the airplane came to rest. The airplane came to rest inverted on a heading of about 40 degrees magnetic. The nose landing gear strut, its fork, and its tire and an outboard section of the right wing were found separated from the airplane. All major components of the airplane were accounted for at the accident site.

An on-scene examination of the wreckage was conducted. The center portion of the fuselage was melted, consumed, and deformed consistent with a ground fire. First responders cut control cables and marked them. All flight control cables were traced and flight control continuity was established. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls were found in their forward position. The engine sump was melted. Engine control cables were connected to their respective throttle and mixture controls on the fuel servo and the propeller control cable was attached to its governor. The flap jackscrew measurement was consistent with a 10-degree flap extended setting. The landing gear cable extension measurements were consistent with extended landing gear. One landing gear tire was melted and the other two landing gear tires did not exhibit any abrasions or flat spots. The magnetos and vacuum pump were melted and deformed. The propeller hub was attached to the engine and all three propeller blades exhibited ground tips consistent with contact with the runway. Due to impact and fire damage, the total fuel quantity on board the airplane at the time of the accident could not be confirmed.

Runway 22 was examined. The surface of the runway, about one tenth of a nautical mile from the start of its threshold, exhibited witness slash marks consistent with contact with the propeller. The path of the witness marks proceeded down the runway just left of centerline and the marks migrated to the right. A white colored media transfer was also found on the runway. The media transfer path approximated the path of the slash marks. There were no trails of landing gear tire witness marks associated with the path of the slash marks and media transfer marks.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov