- Date
- April 12, 2011, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Austin, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N171STPiper PA-30
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administation
- FAA report
- 20110412005599A
- Case key
- 78876
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 loss of directional control during landing which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 1
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 reported that he lost directional control of the airplane while landing. He said that the airplane exited the side of the runway, and impacted several signs. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in an upright, nose down position. The airplane’s right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot said that prior to touchdown the airplane encountered a gust of wind. He reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Factual narrative
Following a cross-country flight, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane while landing, exited the side of the runway, and impacting several signs. The nose landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest in an upright; nose down position. The airplane's right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage during the accident. Eight minutes after the accident, the automated weather observing system (AWOS) at the accident airport reported, winds variable at 5 knots. The pilot reported that the winds were variable, but before touchdown a gust of wind impacted the airplane, resulting in a misaligned landing. The pilot further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N171ST
- Reported as
- Piper PA-30
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30-1195
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SHV · Shreveport, LA
- Destination
- AUS · Austin, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AUS · Austin-Bergstrom International, runway 17L, 9,000 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 130 total · 40 in this make and model · 50 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- AUS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.