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20000708041269A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Fitchburg, MA · July 8, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 8, 2000 · 10:00 local
Place
Fitchburg, MA
Airport
Fitchburg Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N21072
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD00LA060
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1G5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
150 total40 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N21072Registration cancelled Sep 15, 2004 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7840183 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.4) Before entering the airport's traffic pattern, the pilot tuned into the airport's ASOS and was informed that the winds were favoring runway 02. The pilot observed traffic in the pattern utilizing runway 32, and made a 45 degree entry to the downwind for runway 32. He flew a normal traffic pattern and set up for a crosswind landing. On the landing roll-out, the airplane drifted to the left of the runway centerline, then veered right, and exited the runway onto the grass. The nose gear then sheered off the airplane, which resulted in damage to the firewall and propeller. Examination of the airplane revealed there were no mechanical malfunctions. The airport's reported winds were from 020 degrees at 12 knots. (-23) as stated by the pilot, while landing at Fitchburg Municipal Airport (fit) runway 32 with a crosswind, on approach the aircraft drifted left, using rudder input the pilot corrected back to the right. After touch down the aircraft veered off to the right. While still trying to straighten out the aircraft using rudder input, the pilot noted the aircraft was about to leave the paved runway and shut down the engine. After the aircraft came to a full stop the nose gear was found to be cocked full right and separated from the strut, under the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(.4) BEFORE ENTERING THE AIRPORT'S TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE PILOT TUNED INTO THE AIRPORT'S ASOS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDS WERE FAVORING RUNWAY 02. THE PILOT OBSERVED TRAFFIC IN THE PATTERN UTILIZING RUNWAY 32, AND MADE A 45 DEGREE ENTRY TO THE DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 32. HE FLEW A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN AND SET UP FOR A CROSSWIND LANDING. ON THE LANDING ROLL-OUT, THE AIRPLANE DRIFTED TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, THEN VEERED RIGHT, AND EXITED THE RUNWAY ONTO THE GRASS. THE NOSE GEAR THEN SHEERED OFF THE AIRPLANE, WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL AND PROPELLER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. THE AIRPORT'S REPORTED WINDS WERE FROM 020 DEGREES AT 12 KNOTS. (-23) AS STATED BY THE PILOT, WHILE LANDING AT FITCHBURG MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FIT) RUNWAY 32 WITH A CROSSWIND, ON APPROACH THE AIRCRAFT DRIFTED LEFT, USING RUDDER INPUT THE PILOT CORRECTED BACK TO THE RIGHT. AFTER TOUCH DOWN THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF TO THE RIGHT. WHILE STILL TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE AIRCRAFT USING RUDDER INPUT, THE PILOT NOTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE PAVED RUNWAY AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A FULL STOP THE NOSE GEAR WAS FOUND TO BE COCKED FULL RIGHT AND SEPARATED FROM THE STRUT, UNDER THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB IAD00LA060Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFitchburg, MApilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind. A factor was the crosswind.Jul 8, 2000 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N21072 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20040601011219AFinal Approach-IFR · Leominster, MA(-23) On June 1, 2004, about 2130 EDT, a Piper PA-32-300, N21072, was destroyed when it impacted terrain in Leominster, MA during a GPS approach to runway 32 at fitchburg airport (fit). The certificated private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured.…Jun 1, 2004 · Destroyed · 2 fatal