PIPER PA-24-260 — La Pointe, WI

What happened

The pilot was landing the airplane after a cross-country flight. A witness heard squealing and the sound of screeching tires. He looked toward the runway and saw the airplane bouncing out of control. He reported that the airplane then went to full throttle and pitched nose-up to about 45 degrees as it started climbing. The witness thought the airplane was going to attempt another landing. He turned around, but subsequently heard an explosion. The airplane impacted in a nearby wooded area and a ground fire subsequently occurred. Broken tree branches indicated a linear downward path to where the airplane came to rest. All three propeller blade tips were ground down, consistent with contact with the runway. An examination of the runway showed a series of parallel witness slash marks consistent with propeller contact. The runway exhibited a white media transfer that approximated the path of the slash marks. Strips of copper were also found on the runway. The airplane was equipped with a white antenna mounted to its underbelly and the recovered strips of copper were consistent in shape with sections of the antenna assembly's copper sense plate. No anomalies with the airplane's engine or systems were found. Although the landing gear was found extended at the accident site, based on the evidence on the runway and the damage to the propellers and the underbelly antenna, it is likely that the pilot did not lower the landing gear during his first landing attempt.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.