Probable cause
An inadvertent hard landing by the pilot.
NTSB analysis
The pilot reported that the landing was “harder than normal” but otherwise uneventful. However, about 2,000 ft down the runway during the rollout, the nose landing gear collapsed. A postaccident examination determined that the right nose landing gear attachment on the engine mount had separated in tensile and shear overstress fracture. The hard landing likely fractured the engine mount and separated the attachment foot, resulting in the nose landing gear collapse during rollout.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN22LA257 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Jun 5, 2022
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Gettysburg, South Dakota
- Nearest airport
- Gettysburg Municipal (0D8)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-32R-300
- N-number
- N901BW
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1976
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.