Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA28 near Palm Beach Gardens, FL — 2024-11-13

Final reportERA25LA074
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Date
2024-11-13
Location
Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA
Airport
F45
Aircraft
PIPER PA28
Registration
N6294C
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing in a gusting crosswind, which resulted in a hard landing and runway excursion.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings at his base airport. While on his first approach to landing, the pilot reported that the wind was very gusty and that the gusts were “stronger than anticipated.” Just before touchdown, a gust of wind pushed the airplane to the right side of the runway. The airplane landed hard and, the nose gear collapsed., and The airplane then went off the side of the runway and into a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the tubular engine mounts and cockpit floor. The pilot reported there were no anomalies or mechanical failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane and that it “was nothing but a bad landing due to a surprising downdraft and too low to recover.”

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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