What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 14th 2022, at approximately 0850 eastern standard time, privacy data omitted, a 1980 Piper PA-32-301, s/n 32-8106002, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Perry-Houston County Airport (kpxe) in Perry, Georgia. On landing, the pilot in command (PIC) immediately lost control as the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway and struck a dirt berm, approximately 30 yards from the runway. According to the safety performance analysis system (spas), the aircraft is privacy data omitted. There were four individuals on board with no injuries. The aircraft was being operated under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight. Day, visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was filed.
On November 14th, 2022 at approximately 1050 eastern standard time, an FAA inspector from the atlanta FSDO was dispatched to the scene in order to investigate the cause of the accident. Upon arrival to the accident site, the FAA inspector in charge (iic) began his initial assessment of the damage. The FAA inspector was met by employees of the Perry-Houston County Airport (kpxe), who were on scene securing the site. When the aircraft struck the hill it caused substantial damage to the right landing gear strut as it penetrated the right-wing spar and ribs. The nose gear buckled causing extensive damage to the structural attach points. The forceful front impact with the dirt hill caused the engine firewall to wrinkle, resulting in additional substantial damage. Lastly, the propeller was bent in several places. No other damage was noted at this time.
On November 14th, 2022, adsb data was reviewed and it showed that the aircraft touched down at approximately 0847 local time with an airspeed of 88 KTS. The flight parameters were downloaded from the aircraft and it verified the landing speed of 88 KTS at the reported time. Additionally, the METAR weather report showed winds were 11 KTS and out of the ene at 070 degrees. Due to the wind speed and direction on the day and time N81PW was making its approach into kpxe, the preferred runway would have been 36. However, due to traffic in the area the decision was made by the PIC to land on runway 18. This wind direction and speed would have created a cross wind (x wind) effect during landing. In the pilots statement he mentioned that on landing he immediately applied braking to slow the aircraft. During an examination of the runway you can see the tire skid marks of when the brakes were first applied on touchdown. The skid marks show the aircraft sliding sideways as it goes off the left side of the runway.
On November 18th, 2022, a continuity check was performed on the aircraft’s brake and rudder systems to possibly identify any issues or concerns which could have prevented the aircraft from properly braking or causing steering issues. Although there was a great deal of post impact damage the continuity assessment did not reveal any concerns and continuity was observed.
A review of the aircraft log books revealed that a current annual inspection was performed on the airframe, powerplant and propeller on 02/08/2021 and all ad’s were complied with. The aircraft had a total time (tt) of 3808.5 hours at the time of the annual inspection. No other concerns were noted during the review of the maintenance.
A review of the pilots log books revealed that he has 239 total hours with 174 hours in this make/model.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 14TH 2022, AT APPROXIMATELY 0850 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A 1980 PIPER PA-32-301, S/N 32-8106002, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHILE LANDING AT THE PERRY-HOUSTON COUNTY AIRPORT (KPXE) IN PERRY, GEORGIA. ON LANDING, THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL AS THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND STRUCK A DIRT BERM, APPROXIMATELY 30 YARDS FROM THE RUNWAY. ACCORDING TO THE SAFETY PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS SYSTEM (SPAS), THE AIRCRAFT IS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THERE WERE FOUR INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD WITH NO INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. DAY, VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
ON NOVEMBER 14TH, 2022 AT APPROXIMATELY 1050 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FSDO WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. UPON ARRIVAL TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE FAA INSPECTOR IN CHARGE (IIC) BEGAN HIS INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS MET BY EMPLOYEES OF THE PERRY-HOUSTON COUNTY AIRPORT (KPXE), WHO WERE ON SCENE SECURING THE SITE. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE HILL IT CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR STRUT AS IT PENETRATED THE RIGHT-WING SPAR AND RIBS. THE NOSE GEAR BUCKLED CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE STRUCTURAL ATTACH POINTS. THE FORCEFUL FRONT IMPACT WITH THE DIRT HILL CAUSED THE ENGINE FIREWALL TO WRINKLE, RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. LASTLY, THE PROPELLER WAS BENT IN SEVERAL PLACES. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED AT THIS TIME.
ON NOVEMBER 14TH, 2022, ADSB DATA WAS REVIEWED AND IT SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 0847 LOCAL TIME WITH AN AIRSPEED OF 88 KTS. THE FLIGHT PARAMETERS WERE DOWNLOADED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND IT VERIFIED THE LANDING SPEED OF 88 KTS AT THE REPORTED TIME. ADDITIONALLY, THE METAR WEATHER REPORT SHOWED WINDS WERE 11 KTS AND OUT OF THE ENE AT 070 DEGREES. DUE TO THE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION ON THE DAY AND TIME N81PW WAS MAKING ITS APPROACH INTO KPXE, THE PREFERRED RUNWAY WOULD HAVE BEEN 36. HOWEVER, DUE TO TRAFFIC IN THE AREA THE DECISION WAS MADE BY THE PIC TO LAND ON RUNWAY 18. THIS WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED WOULD HAVE CREATED A CROSS WIND (X WIND) EFFECT DURING LANDING. IN THE PILOTS STATEMENT HE MENTIONED THAT ON LANDING HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED BRAKING TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT. DURING AN EXAMINATION OF THE RUNWAY YOU CAN SEE THE TIRE SKID MARKS OF WHEN THE BRAKES WERE FIRST APPLIED ON TOUCHDOWN. THE SKID MARKS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT SLIDING SIDEWAYS AS IT GOES OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.
ON NOVEMBER 18TH, 2022, A CONTINUITY CHECK WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRCRAFT’S BRAKE AND RUDDER SYSTEMS TO POSSIBLY IDENTIFY ANY ISSUES OR CONCERNS WHICH COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE AIRCRAFT FROM PROPERLY BRAKING OR CAUSING STEERING ISSUES. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF POST IMPACT DAMAGE THE CONTINUITY ASSESSMENT DID NOT REVEAL ANY CONCERNS AND CONTINUITY WAS OBSERVED.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS REVEALED THAT A CURRENT ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRFRAME, POWERPLANT AND PROPELLER ON 02/08/2021 AND ALL AD’S WERE COMPLIED WITH. THE AIRCRAFT HAD A TOTAL TIME (TT) OF 3808.5 HOURS AT THE TIME OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. NO OTHER CONCERNS WERE NOTED DURING THE REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE.
A REVIEW OF THE PILOTS LOG BOOKS REVEALED THAT HE HAS 239 TOTAL HOURS WITH 174 HOURS IN THIS MAKE/MODEL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.