NTSB Factual Report

On March 8, 2002, about 0845 eastern standard time, a Piper P46T, N117NU was substantially damaged while landing at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport (PNE), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that originated from Igor I. Sikorsky Memorial Airport (BDR), Bridgeport, Connecticut. An instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the personal flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot stated

"...I came in a little fast and a little high, and when I touched down, I landed on the front tire and the plane porpoised. When I bounced in the air I tried to go around by applying power, but the engine took a second or 2 to spool and I didn't feel the power surge to take off again. I wasn't sure if I had had a prop strike which might have made it so the propeller could not give me enough power, or it was the slow spooling [of the engine] so I pulled the power back again. By this time I was off the runway and into the grass, which stopped the bouncing that was occurring on the runway. Once on the grass and no longer bouncing, I attempted to steer the plane back on to the runway, and that is when the landing gear collapsed...."

According to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA), there was damage to the flap, aileron, and wrinkles on the upper surface skin of the left wing. Both main landing gear had collapsed to the right, and the nose wheel was bent to the right. The propeller blades had damage to all four tips. After departing the runway, the airplane traveled through 380 feet of dirt and came to rest in a grassy area.

In the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, in the section titled, "Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented)", the pilot reported:

"I should have flared, not landed on front tire."

According to the 0854 weather observation from PNE, the sky was clear, the visibility was 9 statute miles, and the winds was from 060 degrees at 5 knots.

According to FAA data, runway 6 was 7,000 feet long, 150 feet wide, and had a asphalt surface.

The airplane was originally delivered as a PA-46-350P. It was subsequently modified by a supplemental type certificate (STC), which replaced the reciprocating engine with a Pratt & Whitney Of Canada (PWC) PT6A-34 turboprop engine. According to the STC holder, the airplane was re-designated a P46T.

The pilot reported his total flight experience as 719 hours, which included 76 hours in make and model, including 65 hours in the preceding 90 days.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor was the pilot's failure to flare during initial touchdown.