What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 2, 2019 at approximately 12:05 pm eastern daylight time (EDT), N31934, a PA-32RT-300 aircraft, registered to a flying club and operated by a private pilot, received substantial damage after departing the left side of runway 26 during landing at the Mackinac Island Airport (mcd) on Mackinac Island, Michigan.
The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 under a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. The pilot and five passengers aboard the aircraft were not injured. The flight originated from the muskegon county airport (mkg) in muskegon, Michigan around 10:36 am EDT.
According to the pilot, as the aircraft descended on final approach for landing on runway 26, the effects of crosswind conditions from the right became more pronounced. The pilot applied crosswind control technique. The pilot stated he was aware he was running out of runway remaining and acknowledged the terrain beyond the runway ends in a cliff. Rather than opt to go around, the pilot elected to force a landing on the remaining runway.
Tire skid marks were observed approximately 1,100 feet from the approach end of the 3,500 foot runway on the left side of the centerline near the edge of the runway. The pilot confirmed the aircraft bounced after initial touch down and, upon second touchdown, was situated left of the centerline with the aircraft longitudinal axis pointed slightly to the left side of the runway.
The pilot attempted to apply corrective control to redirect the aircraft towards the center of the runway 26, however the aircraft departed the left side of runway. The pilot applied maximum braking effort as the aircraft proceeded into the grass south of the runway. The aircraft continued approximately 750 feet through the grass with a slight left turn until coming to a rest upon impacting rising terrain near a culvert, prior to taxiway A2.
The aircraft sustained damage to the right wing, which appears to have absorbed much of the impact force. All three landing gear separated or collapsed from side loading forces. The fuselage exhibited signs of experiencing torsional force. The propeller and engine experienced sudden stoppage from ground strike. Both wings exhibited impact damage to the leading edge and control surfaces.
Visual meteorological conditions and light to moderate crosswinds prevailed at the time of the accident. The weather report at Mackinac Island Airport (mcd) at 1555Z was: wind 350 degrees at 9 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clouds broken at 1,900 feet, broken at 2,500 feet, overcast at 11,000 feet, temperature 19, dew point 15, and altimeter 3006.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:05 PM EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), N31934, A PA-32RT-300 AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED TO A FLYING CLUB AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER DEPARTING THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY 26 DURING LANDING AT THE MACKINAC ISLAND AIRPORT (MCD) ON MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN.
THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 UNDER A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT AND FIVE PASSENGERS ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE MUSKEGON COUNTY AIRPORT (MKG) IN MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN AROUND 10:36 AM EDT.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED ON FINAL APPROACH FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 26, THE EFFECTS OF CROSSWIND CONDITIONS FROM THE RIGHT BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED. THE PILOT APPLIED CROSSWIND CONTROL TECHNIQUE. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS AWARE HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF RUNWAY REMAINING AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE TERRAIN BEYOND THE RUNWAY ENDS IN A CLIFF. RATHER THAN OPT TO GO AROUND, THE PILOT ELECTED TO FORCE A LANDING ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY.
TIRE SKID MARKS WERE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY 1,100 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE 3,500 FOOT RUNWAY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CENTERLINE NEAR THE EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT CONFIRMED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AFTER INITIAL TOUCH DOWN AND, UPON SECOND TOUCHDOWN, WAS SITUATED LEFT OF THE CENTERLINE WITH THE AIRCRAFT LONGITUDINAL AXIS POINTED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO APPLY CORRECTIVE CONTROL TO REDIRECT THE AIRCRAFT TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE RUNWAY 26, HOWEVER THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF RUNWAY. THE PILOT APPLIED MAXIMUM BRAKING EFFORT AS THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED INTO THE GRASS SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED APPROXIMATELY 750 FEET THROUGH THE GRASS WITH A SLIGHT LEFT TURN UNTIL COMING TO A REST UPON IMPACTING RISING TERRAIN NEAR A CULVERT, PRIOR TO TAXIWAY A2.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE ABSORBED MUCH OF THE IMPACT FORCE. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR SEPARATED OR COLLAPSED FROM SIDE LOADING FORCES. THE FUSELAGE EXHIBITED SIGNS OF EXPERIENCING TORSIONAL FORCE. THE PROPELLER AND ENGINE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN STOPPAGE FROM GROUND STRIKE. BOTH WINGS EXHIBITED IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE AND CONTROL SURFACES.
VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT TO MODERATE CROSSWINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WEATHER REPORT AT MACKINAC ISLAND AIRPORT (MCD) AT 1555Z WAS: WIND 350 DEGREES AT 9 KNOTS, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLOUDS BROKEN AT 1,900 FEET, BROKEN AT 2,500 FEET, OVERCAST AT 11,000 FEET, TEMPERATURE 19, DEW POINT 15, AND ALTIMETER 3006.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.