What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description : accident PA-32 hard landing (3NR3) Transylvania Community Airport
Sas: EA68202102045
Investigation:
A private pilot was attempting to make a landing at (3NR3) Transylvania Community Airport on 03/7/2021 at 18:50Z or 13:05 EST. During his attempt to land the winds were very high and gusty. No official weather reporting is available at the airport 3NR3 Transylvania Community Airport, so the pilot choose to use an airport close by kavl asheville, NC. To obtain the local weather.
The pilot choose to land on runway 09 at 3NR3 Transylvania Community Airport. As he approached the runway, the pilot stated that he did notice from the wind sock that the wind was really variable in direction and that runway 09 might be favoring more of a tail wind but he still choose to attempt the landing and not go-around.
During the landing the pilot stated that it was a very hard landing. Shortly after the hard touch down during roll out the aircraft became uncontrollable. The pilot stated that the aircraft veered to the left and then turned 180 degrees in direction and then ran off the side of the runway backwards.
During the investigation it was determined that due to the very hard landing, the left landing gear strut was pushed through the upper left wing skin. This damage from the hard landing is evident to the cause of the pilot not being able to control the aircraft during roll out.
Why: due to high gusty winds pilot made a hard landing and damaged the aircraft to a point where it was not controllable during roll out.
Contributing factors: pilot landed on runway 9 with a gusty tail wind of excess of 10 KTS
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION : ACCIDENT PA-32 HARD LANDING (3NR3) TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY AIRPORT
SAS: EA68202102045
INVESTIGATION:
A PRIVATE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LANDING AT (3NR3) TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY AIRPORT ON 03/7/2021 AT 18:50Z OR 13:05 EST. DURING HIS ATTEMPT TO LAND THE WINDS WERE VERY HIGH AND GUSTY. NO OFFICIAL WEATHER REPORTING IS AVAILABLE AT THE AIRPORT 3NR3 TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY AIRPORT, SO THE PILOT CHOOSE TO USE AN AIRPORT CLOSE BY KAVL ASHEVILLE, NC. TO OBTAIN THE LOCAL WEATHER.
THE PILOT CHOOSE TO LAND ON RUNWAY 09 AT 3NR3 TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY AIRPORT. AS HE APPROACHED THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOTICE FROM THE WIND SOCK THAT THE WIND WAS REALLY VARIABLE IN DIRECTION AND THAT RUNWAY 09 MIGHT BE FAVORING MORE OF A TAIL WIND BUT HE STILL CHOOSE TO ATTEMPT THE LANDING AND NOT GO-AROUND.
DURING THE LANDING THE PILOT STATED THAT IT WAS A VERY HARD LANDING. SHORTLY AFTER THE HARD TOUCH DOWN DURING ROLL OUT THE AIRCRAFT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT VEERED TO THE LEFT AND THEN TURNED 180 DEGREES IN DIRECTION AND THEN RAN OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY BACKWARDS.
DURING THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT DUE TO THE VERY HARD LANDING, THE LEFT LANDING GEAR STRUT WAS PUSHED THROUGH THE UPPER LEFT WING SKIN. THIS DAMAGE FROM THE HARD LANDING IS EVIDENT TO THE CAUSE OF THE PILOT NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT DURING ROLL OUT.
WHY: DUE TO HIGH GUSTY WINDS PILOT MADE A HARD LANDING AND DAMAGED THE AIRCRAFT TO A POINT WHERE IT WAS NOT CONTROLLABLE DURING ROLL OUT.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: PILOT LANDED ON RUNWAY 9 WITH A GUSTY TAIL WIND OF EXCESS OF 10 KTS
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.