- Date
- February 12, 2015, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Akron, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N427ABPiper PA 46-350P
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration; CLE FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150212004179A
- Case key
- 90976
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 failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
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 airplane veered off the left side of the runway during landing with a left gusting crosswind. The maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 17 knots. The pilot stated that he had applied right rudder and left aileron control inputs for the landing. The airplane left main landing gear touched down first and when the right main landing gear contacted the runway, a gust of wind lifted the left wing, resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and into a grass area adjacent to the runway where the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The airplane veered off the left side of the runway during landing with a left gusting crosswind. The maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 17 knots. The pilot stated that he had applied right rudder and left aileron control inputs for the landing. The airplane left main landing gear touched down first and when the right main landing gear contacted the runway, a gust of wind lifted the left wing, resulting in a loss of directional control. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and into a grass area adjacent to the runway where the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N427AB
- Reported as
- Piper PA 46-350P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4636324
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 1,848
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- SSP Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 8, 2015
- Departed
- EYE · Indianapolis, IN
- Destination
- AKR · Akron, OH
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- AKR · Akron Fulton Intl, runway 07, 6,336 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 243 in this make and model · 575 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 17 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 12 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- AKR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 7, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 705 KB 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.