20210906015739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Blue Bell, PA · September 6, 2021

Date: September 6, 2021 · 15:05 local
Place: Blue Bell, PA
Airport: Wings Field
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5166S
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA21LA351
Reported as: Piper PA-28-180
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 607 total515 in this make and model13 in the last 90 days

N5166SRegistration cancelled Mar 10, 2023 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-7105020 · Built 1970 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

After penetrating an active vip TFR and being intercepted by a military aircraft, pilot landed at home base airport, Wings Field (klom). While in the pattern, pilot was slow and low on approach and encountered gusty crosswinds. When interviewed, the pilot stated he was uncomfortable operating the aircraft under these conditions. Pilot failed to maintain control of aircraft by not correcting for winds, flaring high over the runway and allowing right wing to stall. Right wing hit runway with minimal forward aircraft movement. Aircraft landed right of centerline due to lateral drift of aircraft from crosswinds. Aircraft veered further right of runway before coming to rest.

Aircraft sustained substantial damage affecting structural strength and integrity from collapsed right landing gear and nose gear, damaged right wing spar, control surfaces and bent propeller.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER PENETRATING AN ACTIVE VIP TFR AND BEING INTERCEPTED BY A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, PILOT LANDED AT HOME BASE AIRPORT, WINGS FIELD (KLOM). WHILE IN THE PATTERN, PILOT WAS SLOW AND LOW ON APPROACH AND ENCOUNTERED GUSTY CROSSWINDS. WHEN INTERVIEWED, THE PILOT STATED HE WAS UNCOMFORTABLE OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT BY NOT CORRECTING FOR WINDS, FLARING HIGH OVER THE RUNWAY AND ALLOWING RIGHT WING TO STALL. RIGHT WING HIT RUNWAY WITH MINIMAL FORWARD AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT. AIRCRAFT LANDED RIGHT OF CENTERLINE DUE TO LATERAL DRIFT OF AIRCRAFT FROM CROSSWINDS. AIRCRAFT VEERED FURTHER RIGHT OF RUNWAY BEFORE COMING TO REST.

AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFFECTING STRUCTURAL STRENGTH AND INTEGRITY FROM COLLAPSED RIGHT LANDING GEAR AND NOSE GEAR, DAMAGED RIGHT WING SPAR, CONTROL SURFACES AND BENT PROPELLER.

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 ERA21LA351Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPhiladelphia, PAThe pilot’s exceedance of the wing’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of aircraft control.Sep 6, 2021 · Substantial damage