What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday 23 apr 2011, N57WV, a 1968 PA-28-180 "cherokee d", piloted by james t. lycett, experienced loss of control upon landing rollout on rw 18 at Chalet Suzanne Air Strip (X25), Lake Wales, FL. While attempting to regain control at the left edge of the grass runway, the aircraft's left MLG struck a ditch, and the aircraft groundlooped to a stop. There were no injuries, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage to the left wing and lmlg. VMC conditions prevailed. Pilot described negligible crosswind on approach, but abrupt wind event which caused loss of directional control on rollout. Pilot's description of wind event resembles mechanical turbulence, possibly from hangar and open area adjacent to runway 18 ivo rollout. Kbow automated METAR at time of accident reported winds of 140-8, which implies a left crosswind of 5.6 kt.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY 23 APR 2011, N57WV, A 1968 PA-28-180 "CHEROKEE D", PILOTED BY JAMES T. LYCETT, EXPERIENCED LOSS OF CONTROL UPON LANDING ROLLOUT ON RW 18 AT CHALET SUZANNE AIR STRIP (X25), LAKE WALES, FL. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN CONTROL AT THE LEFT EDGE OF THE GRASS RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT MLG STRUCK A DITCH, AND THE AIRCRAFT GROUNDLOOPED TO A STOP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING AND LMLG. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED. PILOT DESCRIBED NEGLIGIBLE CROSSWIND ON APPROACH, BUT ABRUPT WIND EVENT WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL ON ROLLOUT. PILOT'S DESCRIPTION OF WIND EVENT RESEMBLES MECHANICAL TURBULENCE, POSSIBLY FROM HANGAR AND OPEN AREA ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 18 IVO ROLLOUT. KBOW AUTOMATED METAR AT TIME OF ACCIDENT REPORTED WINDS OF 140-8, WHICH IMPLIES A LEFT CROSSWIND OF 5.6 KT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N57WV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.