Piper PA-34-220T accident near Port Huron, Michigan, July 16, 2003
On July 16, 2003 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N5359J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Port Huron, Michigan (St Clair County Intl airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot misjudging the flare during landing, and his inadequate remedial action resulting in the inadvertent porpoise of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2003 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Port Huron, Michigan · St Clair County Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N5359J · registry record · serial 3449267
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was damaged during a hard landing on runway 28. The pilot reported that the landing approach was normal. He reported that at touchdown on the main landing gear, wind gusts changed and caused the airplane to bounce off of the nose gear. The pilot attempted to settle the airplane back on the main gear, but it bounced higher and continued bouncing at least three more times veering to the left and in the grass. The weather reporting station located at the accident airport recorded the wind as 330 degrees at 6 knots. No gusts were recorded.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 976 hours in all; 280 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 750 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 14, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 170 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2002; 170 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,773 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental TSIO-360-RB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne Continental LTSIO-360-RB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FCM Minneapolis MN at 1:15 pm
- Destination: PHN Port Huron MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 28, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 5:16 pm from PHN, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.