Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Salina, Kansas, July 24, 1998
On July 24, 1998 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N177ND, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salina, Kansas (Salina Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot failed to flare the airplane properly and the airplane landed hard.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 1998 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salina, Kansas · Salina Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N177ND · no longer on the register · serial 2837031
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was 10 feet above the runway when he started the flare. He reported that when the main landing gear contacted the runway he let the yoke go forward. He reported, 'All of a sudden the nose of the plane was on the runway and I [went] skidding to the right. I had skidded all the way across the runway and onto the grass.' The inspection of the airplane revealed that the right main gear forward trunion bearing broke downward while the aft trunion broke upward causing damage to the top side of the wing. The same action caused damage to the top side of the left wing.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 90 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 38 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,653 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 18, 1998; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MML Marshall MN at 4:30 pm
- Destination: SLN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 13,337 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from SLN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.