Two Persons Onboard, Uninjured

Sometimes the simplest things go wrong... and for the darndest reasons. In an early October PA46 landing accident, the airport manager reported that the airplane touched down with the nose wheel canted approximately 90 degrees. That's what you call a no-win scenario. Substantial resulted but both occupants walked away uninjured.

NTSB Identification: CEN14LA006
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, October 09, 2013 in Xenia, OH
Aircraft: PIPER PA 46 350P, registration: N561C
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On October 9, 2013, about 1000 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P, N561C, owned and operated by a private individual was substantially damaged when it departed the side of the runway and the nose wheel collapsed at the Greene County – Lewis A. Jackson Regional Airport (I19), Xenia, Ohio. The pilot and passenger on board the airplane were not injured. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The airport manager reported that the airplane touched down with the nose wheel canted approximately 90 degrees. He said from the tire marks on the runway, the pilot fought to keep the airplane on the runway surface. The airplane went off the left side of the runway into the grass and traveled about 500 feet before the nose gear collapsed back into the wheel well, and the airplane’s nose and propeller impacted the ground. The airport manager stated that the pilot and passenger were not injured. He also stated that when he observed the airplane, he noted the propeller blades were bent aft, and the bottom cowling, firewall, engine mounts, and nose gear were crushed upward, and bent aft.
 
At 0956, the weather conditions at the Dayton International Airport (DAY) Dayton, Ohio, 15 miles northeast of I19, were wind 100 degrees at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 55 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point, 46 degrees F, and altimeter 30.28 inches of Mercury.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief.aspx?ev_id=20131009X65500&key=1