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Atlas / NTSB / ERA22LA195

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ERA22LA195

2022-03-18 Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States Airport · N94 None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N4468X

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER PA-32-300

Year of manufacture

1975 · 47 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)

Seats / Engines

6 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19751014

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A5646D

Registrant of record

HALF NUTS LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in the airplane’s empennage impacting the runway surface during landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while in the landing flare, about 5 to 7 ft above ground level, the airplane “suddenly dropped” to the ground and the airplane’s tail struck the runway. The pilot then taxied the airplane to parking uneventfully. During a subsequent inspection of the airplane, the pilot and a mechanic found that the airplane’s empennage had sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained
  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_ERA22LA195.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.