CEN13LA332

The pilot stated that, during the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern for the landing, he asked an air traffic controller for wind information. The air traffic controller reported that the wind was 200 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot reported that, during touchdown, the airplane encountered a "severe" gust of wind. In response, he corrected right, and, once the gust past, he corrected left. Subsequently, the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and into the grass. The airplane's track marks indicated that its nose gear struck a ground-level concrete pad, collapsed, and subsequently struck a precision approach path indicator light, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported no preimpact malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

On June 10, 2013, about 0930 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46-310P, N13PC, sustained substantial damage when it veered off the runway while landing on runway 17L (7,199 feet by 150 feet, concrete) at the Wiley Post Airport (PWA), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was registered to KED Aviation LLC, and operated by the pilot under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed. The flight departed from the Aero Country Airport (T31), McKinney, Texas, about 0830. The pilot stated that he called for a wind check while on downwind for landing on runway 17L, and the air traffic controller reported that the wind was 200 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot reported that he had a right crosswind correction established when a "severe" gust of wind during touchdown caused the airplane to veer to the right. He immediately corrected to the left and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway and into the grass. He reported that the nose gear dug into the soft soil and collapsed, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane before the accident. The operations manager for the airport reported that the airplane landed on runway 17L and veered off the left side of the runway. The airplane's track marks through the grass indicated that the airplane's nose gear struck a ground level concrete pad, collapsed, and subsequently struck a precision approach path indicator (PAPI) light and dislodged it from its concrete base. At 0853, the PWA surface weather observation was wind 210 at 15 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 25 degrees Celcius (C), dew point 18 degrees C, altimeter 29.93. At 0953, the PWA surface weather observation was wind 210 at 17 knots gusting to 21 knots, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 27 degrees C, dew point 18 degrees C, altimeter 29.93.