NTSB Factual Report

On June 16, 2002, approximately 2230 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, single-engine airplane, N675MP, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Pecos Municipal Airport, Pecos, Texas. The airplane was registered to SMILOR, LLC, of Troy, Michigan, and operated by a private individual under Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The instrument rated private pilot, and his four passengers were not injured. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed and activated. The personal flight departed El Paso, Texas, approximately 1945.

On the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) the 674-hour pilot reported that cruise altitude for the flight was 9,000 feet msl. Due to mountainous terrain, the pilot maintained the altitude to the destination airport. The pilot then descended the airplane for the pattern entry, overflew the airport to visualize the windsock, and planned the visual approach to runway 14 at an airspeed of 95 knots with 10 degrees of flaps. Further, the pilot reported that during the dark night landing, the airplane bounced twice.

The FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, found the right wing bent, and the nose landing gear collapsed. The inspector found "numerous propeller strikes on the runway, and the outboard portion of the propeller blades grounded away." The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that he "made a steep approach and misjudged his height on flare and made a hard landing." The runway lights were operating at the time of the accident.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot misjudged the landing flare resulting in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the dark night conditions.