Piper PA 28 accident near Marion, Iowa, June 10, 2018
On June 10, 2018 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1983 Piper PA 28, registered N4295T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Marion, Iowa (Marion airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 pitch during the first landing, which resulted in a porpoise, and the failure of the nose landing gear during the second landing after a subsequent go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2018 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Iowa · Marion · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28 236, built 1983 · all PA 28s on the register
- Registration
- N4295T · no longer on the register · serial 28-8311022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during his first attempt to land, the nosewheel touched down first, and the airplane "porpoised." He aborted the landing and accomplished another landing, but when the airplane touched down on the runway, the nose landing gear collapsed. The pilot used differential braking to steer the airplane into the grassy area on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported that the accident could have been prevented if the airspeed had been slower and if the airplane's pitch attitude was better than the initial landing. Additionally, the pilot noted that he landed with a 90° crosswind from the left. The pilot reported that, at the time of the accident, the wind was from 08° at 11 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 17. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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) defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 166 hours in all; 147 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 131 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 5, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,488 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 26, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3A5D (piston); 2,554 hours total
- Operator: Ham And Eggs LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 0F3 Spirit Lake IA at 8:20 pm
- Destination: C17 Marion IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,775 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,100 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from KCID, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 6, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.