Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-31-350 near Dutch Harbor, AK — 2013-02-16

Final reportANC13CA023
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Date
2013-02-16
Location
Dutch Harbor, AK, USA
Airport
PADU
Aircraft
PIPER PA-31-350
Registration
N15PR
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to land in wind conditions that exceeded the airplane's demonstrated crosswind capability, which resulted in a loss of airplane control during the landing roll.

NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot departed on a visual flight rules cross-country flight in a twin-engine airplane with two passengers aboard. He reported that during the flight the weather began changing and he arrived at the destination airport in unforecast deteriorating weather conditions. Unable to circle to land into the wind, the pilot elected to land on runway 12 with a gusting quartering right tailwind. During the landing roll, a wind gust pushed the nose of the airplane to the right, and the airplane began to slide momentarily on an icy patch on the runway. While sliding sideways, the left main landing gear contacted bare pavement, which resulted in the collapse of the left main landing gear. As a result, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The wind at the airport before landing was reported to be out of 339 degrees at 26 knots, with gusts to 35 knots. According to the pilot operating handbook for the accident airplane, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 20 knots, and a plot of the current wind conditions at the time of the accident showed that the crosswind component for the accident landing was 30 knots, 10 knots above the maximum demonstrated component. No preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were reported.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have chosen to divert to another airport due to deteriorating weather.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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