# Accident 19970517013929A: Piper PA28R201, Las Vegas, NV, May 17, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 1997, 15:40 local time
- Place: Las Vegas, NV
- Airport: Henderson Sky Harbor Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.0407° N, 114.9291° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.0407&lon=-114.9291&mi=10
- Aircraft: N38718, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N38718) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-201 (registry code 7102816, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R201
- Reported engine: LYC IO360C1C6
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 111 total, 97 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX97LA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA188) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970517013929A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THE PILOT INITIATED AN APPROACH TO RUNWAY 18 WITH THE RIGHT WING LOW AND LANDED ON THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. AFTER THE RIGHT TIRE TOUCHED DOWN, THE RIGHT WING CAME UP AND THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT RAN OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A ROW OF VERY LARGE ROCKS THAT WERE ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY.  THE MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT SLID INTO A 8-FOOT ROCKY DROP-OFF.  THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPEED TO ATTEMPT A GO-AROUND SO HE OPTED TO ALLOW THE AIRCRAFT TO RUN OFF THE RUNWAY.  THE TOWER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT SURFACE WINDS WERE FROM 230 DEGREES AT 15 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 25.  THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE AIRCRAFT STATES THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND COMPONENT IS 17 KNOTS.  CONSIDERING THAT LIMITATION, THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE COMPONENT FOR A 50-DEGREE CROSSWIND WAS COMPUTED TO BE 19.15 KNOTS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX97LA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX97LA188), May 17, 1997: Piper PA-28R-201 (N38718), Henderson, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's attempt to land the aircraft under crosswind conditions that exceeded the performance capability of the aircraft.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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