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20190331002259A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Swainsboro, GA · March 31, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 31, 2019 · 11:30 local
Place
Swainsboro, GA
Airport
East Georgia Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N75242
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA19CA191
Reported as
Piper PA-32-260
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
210 total160 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N75242Registered now · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-7600016Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

On March 31, 2019, at approximately 1130 a.m. eastern daylight time, a Piper pa 32-260, N75242, was substantially damaged after it impacted terrain while attempting to land at the East Georgia Regional Airport (ksbo) in Swainsboro, GA. There was one person on board with no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from the eagle neck airport (1GA0) townsend, GA, and was destined for barrow county airport (kwdr) winder, GA. This was a personal flight being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91.

The pilot in command (PIC) stated that he had departed eagles neck airport (1GA0) sometime between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m. with approximately 54 gallons of fuel on board. After approximately 30 - 45 minutes of flight, his radar showed weather issues just ahead, so the decision was made to land at the East Georgia Regional Airport (ksbo) on runway 32. The pilot reported a normal approach and landing as he believes he touched down just after the numbers around 400 feet from the end of the runway. After touching down the plane began to veer off to the left uncontrollably. The aircraft continued to skid to the left and off the runway into the grass causing the front wheel to collapse. The pilot stated that there was a strong wind gust that was pushing him to the left of the runway and that the aircraft was operating as normal with no mechanical issues. He was able to exit the aircraft with no injuries.

During an examination of the aircraft damage, the aircraft had sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall, which was evident by buckling in several places. The engine mount had also displayed substantial damage as it was bent in several places.

An examination of accident site revealed that based on the tire marks the aircraft had touched down just after the 1000? Marker and immediately started to skid to the left of the runway. The tire marks continued another 500? As the aircraft veered off to the left of the runway and came to rest in the grass.

A review of the METAR weather report showed at 1130, winds were out of the west at 9 mph with mostly cloudy skies and 10 miles visibility. At 1150 winds were out of the northwest at 10 mph and gusting to 18 mph with thunderstorms and 10 miles visibility.

According to federal aviation administration (FAA) records, the pilot in command held a private pilot endorsement with ratings for airplane single-engine land. An FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on February 13, 2018. At the time of the accident, the pilot reported 210 total hours of flight experience. The pilots last check ride occurred on privacy data omitted.

The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness airworthiness certificate in the normal category on may 7, 1976. The aircraft had a current annual inspection for the airframe, engine and propeller that was performed on August 22, 2018 with a reported hobbs meter time of 2263.9 hours.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 31, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 A.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA 32-260, N75242, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER IT IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT THE EAST GEORGIA REGIONAL AIRPORT (KSBO) IN SWAINSBORO, GA. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD WITH NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE EAGLE NECK AIRPORT (1GA0) TOWNSEND, GA, AND WAS DESTINED FOR BARROW COUNTY AIRPORT (KWDR) WINDER, GA. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.

THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED EAGLES NECK AIRPORT (1GA0) SOMETIME BETWEEN 10:30 AND 11:00 A.M. WITH APPROXIMATELY 54 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 - 45 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, HIS RADAR SHOWED WEATHER ISSUES JUST AHEAD, SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT THE EAST GEORGIA REGIONAL AIRPORT (KSBO) ON RUNWAY 32. THE PILOT REPORTED A NORMAL APPROACH AND LANDING AS HE BELIEVES HE TOUCHED DOWN JUST AFTER THE NUMBERS AROUND 400 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER TOUCHING DOWN THE PLANE BEGAN TO VEER OFF TO THE LEFT UNCONTROLLABLY. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SKID TO THE LEFT AND OFF THE RUNWAY INTO THE GRASS CAUSING THE FRONT WHEEL TO COLLAPSE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THERE WAS A STRONG WIND GUST THAT WAS PUSHING HIM TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING AS NORMAL WITH NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. HE WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.

DURING AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE, THE AIRCRAFT HAD SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FIREWALL, WHICH WAS EVIDENT BY BUCKLING IN SEVERAL PLACES. THE ENGINE MOUNT HAD ALSO DISPLAYED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AS IT WAS BENT IN SEVERAL PLACES.

AN EXAMINATION OF ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT BASED ON THE TIRE MARKS THE AIRCRAFT HAD TOUCHED DOWN JUST AFTER THE 1000? MARKER AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO SKID TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE TIRE MARKS CONTINUED ANOTHER 500? AS THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS.

A REVIEW OF THE METAR WEATHER REPORT SHOWED AT 1130, WINDS WERE OUT OF THE WEST AT 9 MPH WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY. AT 1150 WINDS WERE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST AT 10 MPH AND GUSTING TO 18 MPH WITH THUNDERSTORMS AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY.

ACCORDING TO FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) RECORDS, THE PILOT IN COMMAND HELD A PRIVATE PILOT ENDORSEMENT WITH RATINGS FOR AIRPLANE SINGLE-ENGINE LAND. AN FAA THIRD-CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 13, 2018. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT REPORTED 210 TOTAL HOURS OF FLIGHT EXPERIENCE. THE PILOTS LAST CHECK RIDE OCCURRED ON ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE AIRPLANE WAS ISSUED A STANDARD AIRWORTHINESS AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE IN THE NORMAL CATEGORY ON MAY 7, 1976. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION FOR THE AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER THAT WAS PERFORMED ON AUGUST 22, 2018 WITH A REPORTED HOBBS METER TIME OF 2263.9 HOURS.

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 GAA19CA191Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSwainsboro, GAThe pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and the landing gear collapsing.Mar 31, 2019 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N75242 · 1

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

Incident 19860706058229IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Bridgeport, CTBounced and veered on landing striking a VASI light.Jul 6, 1986 · Minor damage