- Date
- March 27, 2020, 18:00 local (Mar 28, 2020, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1409XPiper PA32
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20200327000809A
- Case key
- 101134
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control, a runway excursion, and impact with a snowbank.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was attempting to land in strong gusting, crosswind conditions. After touchdown, the airplane veered sharply left, exited the runway, and impacted a snowbank, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had received more instruction in crosswind conditions.
Factual narrative
The pilot was attempting to land in strong gusting crosswind conditions. After touchdown the airplane veered sharply to the left, exited the runway and impacted a snowbank sustaining substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had received more instruction in crosswind conditions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1409X
- Reported as
- Piper PA32 (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7540155
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 2,203.16
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2019
- Departed
- RBY · Ruby, AK
- Destination
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- FAI · Fairbanks Intl, runway 02R, 6,501 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 3, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 86.9 total · 41 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 14 °F, dew point -8 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 21, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.