Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA46 near Williston, FL — 2020-06-15

Final reportERA20LA230
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Date
2020-06-15
Location
Williston, FL, USA
Airport
X60
Aircraft
PIPER PA46
Registration
N117PR
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing with a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion and nose landing gear collapse.

NTSB narrative

The pilot received his private pilot certificate about 2 ½ months before the accident. The pilot then transitioned to the accident airplane, receiving training from an instructor who had completed the factory-authorized training. At the time of the accident, the pilot had a total flight experience of 99 hours, of which 54 hours were in the accident airplane; however, the accident flight was the pilot’s first flight in the accident airplane without a flight instructor. While landing at the airport after a cross-country flight, the airplane departed the right side of the runway onto a grassy area, and the nose landing gear collapsed. Immediately after the accident, the pilot reported to an off-duty law enforcement officer that a gust of wind “got him” and also reported to police officers that a “strong gust of wind” caused the airplane to veer off the runway. In his subsequent written statement, he stated that the nosewheel steering system was unresponsive and contained a manufacturing defect. Although the pilot claimed that there was an issue with the nosewheel steering system, postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. Flight control continuity was established for all flight controls, and nosewheel steering continuity was confirmed. The nose landing gear skid marks on the runway traveled left, then right before exiting the runway. The recorded wind at the airport about 7 minutes after the accident was a left quartering headwind at 11 knots. Given the pilot’s statements regarding the gust of wind, the postaccident examination, and the pilot’s limited experience in the accident airplane, it is likely that the pilot failed to control the airplane while landing in crosswind conditions.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing due to gusty wind conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • FDR / data
  • Photos
  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

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