Piper PA-34-200T accident near Inverness, Florida, September 15, 2010
On September 15, 2010 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200T, registered N2872S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Inverness, Florida (Inverness Airport). It was a public-use flight (local) under public-use (government) rules. 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's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 2010 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Inverness, Florida · Inverness Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200T · all PA-34-200Ts on the register
- Registration
- N2872S · no longer on the register · serial 34-7970315
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (local) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was to conduct practice takeoffs and landings in the local airport traffic pattern utilizing a short field landing technique. During the landing roll, the pilot applied the brakes and retracted the flaps, then heard a "bang" as the nose landing gear collapsed and folded back into the wheel well. The nose of the airplane subsequently settled onto the runway and both propellers struck the runway surface. Postaccident examination of the nose landing gear revealed that the rivets attaching the nose landing gear actuator bracket to its mounting bulkhead had sheared vertically due to the landing. Additionally, the upper nose landing gear drag link attachment bolt was bent, consistent with a hard landing.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 640 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,991 as pilot in command; 79 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,043 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Teledyne/Continental TSIO360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Teledyne/Continental LTSIO360-EB (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Citrus County Sheriffs Department
The flight
- Departed from: X40 Inverness FL
- Destination: X40 Inverness FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,500 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from CGC, 14 miles away
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.
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.