Piper PA-46-350P accident near Sanford, Florida, August 16, 2009
On August 16, 2009 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered N548C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sanford, Florida (Orlando-Sanford International 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 fatigue cracking at the point the nose landing gear actuator attaches to the mount resulting in separation of the actuator and partial collapse of the nose landing gear. Contributing to the accident was the lack of specific inspection guidance for scheduled maintenance to find and/or identify fatigue cracking in the welded actuator attach points of the newly designed mounts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2009 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, Florida · Orlando-Sanford International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N548C · no longer on the register · serial 4636322
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, as the nose landing gear wheel made contact with the runway, the airplane veered suddenly to the left and exited the runway, incurring substantial damage, before coming to a stop in the adjacent grass area. Examination of the airplane’s nose gear assembly revealed the separation of the nose gear actuator attachment weld tube area (foot) of the motor mount. The metallurgical examination of fractured surface revealed fatigue crack emanating from multiple origins at the exterior of the joint where the attachment foot was welded to the support tube. The motor mount was a new design from the manufacturer which was to eliminate the concerns of fatigue separation of the weld in the foot area which was a problem with the old design motor mounts. The airplane had an annual inspection 36 flight hours prior to the accident. The new design motor mount does not have any specific inspection guidance during scheduled maintenance for identifying fatigue cracking in the actuator attach points. The old design motor mounts had detailed inspection instructions to detect fatigue cracking in the welds of the foot areas.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Failure
- cause Organizational issues › Development › Design › Equipment design › Manufacturer
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Related maintenance info
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,029 hours in all; 711 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 1,872 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 711 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 2009; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: KJKA Gulf Shores AL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: KSFB Sanford FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09L, 9,600 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 3:33 pm from SFB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N548C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.