What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 30, 2001, at 1700 hours gmt, a Piper, PA-28-151, N5447F, crashed after landing on runway 9L at the Melbourne airport in Melbourne, Florida. The pilot stated that shortly after landing, a gust of wind pushed the aircraft off the right side of runway 9L. The pilot further stated that, when he was unable to straighten up the aircraft, he added power and attempted to go-around. The aircraft crossed a ditch and struck a small pine tree approximately 4 to 5 feet off the ground coming to rest just on the other side of the pine tree in a thicket of palmettos, approximately 200 feet from the runway. There were no injuries. The aircraft received substantial damage. The empennage was buckled to the right at the stabilator attach point. The stabilator showed impact damage on its left leading edge inboard side. The left main landing gear was torn out from under the left wing. The nose gear collapsed and was under the aircraft. The firewall was buckled at the bottom. Both propeller blades were bent forward slightly. The left wing showed impact damage to the outboard wing tip and leading edge. In the cabin of the aircraft it was found that the throttle and mixture were in the forward position. The magneto switch was in the off position. The fuel selector was found in the off position. The rudder and stablilator trim settings were both found in the neutral position. Flight control continuity was established. The aircraft was released to the owner for removal.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2001, AT 1700 HOURS GMT, A PIPER, PA-28-151, N5447F, CRASHED AFTER LANDING ON RUNWAY 9L AT THE MELBOURNE AIRPORT IN MELBOURNE, FLORIDA. THE PILOT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER LANDING, A GUST OF WIND PUSHED THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF RUNWAY 9L. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT, WHEN HE WAS UNABLE TO STRAIGHTEN UP THE AIRCRAFT, HE ADDED POWER AND ATTEMPTED TO GO-AROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CROSSED A DITCH AND STRUCK A SMALL PINE TREE APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 5 FEET OFF THE GROUND COMING TO REST JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PINE TREE IN A THICKET OF PALMETTOS, APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE EMPENNAGE WAS BUCKLED TO THE RIGHT AT THE STABILATOR ATTACH POINT. THE STABILATOR SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE ON ITS LEFT LEADING EDGE INBOARD SIDE. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS TORN OUT FROM UNDER THE LEFT WING. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND WAS UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. THE FIREWALL WAS BUCKLED AT THE BOTTOM. BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT FORWARD SLIGHTLY. THE LEFT WING SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE OUTBOARD WING TIP AND LEADING EDGE. IN THE CABIN OF THE AIRCRAFT IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE WERE IN THE FORWARD POSITION. THE MAGNETO SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. THE RUDDER AND STABLILATOR TRIM SETTINGS WERE BOTH FOUND IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED TO THE OWNER FOR REMOVAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.