- Date
- December 18, 2017, 07:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Georgetown, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N141JTPiaggio P.180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20171218023269A
- Case key
- 96522
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 crosswind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and the right main landing gear collapsing.
Findings · 3
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 said he was flying the RNAV GPS runway 36 approach in 3 miles visibility and that the wind was from 070° at 9 knots. He sighted the runway at 50 ft above the missed approach point. He said the airplane was slightly right of the runway centerline and that there was a right crosswind. When the right main landing gear (MLG) contacted the runway, it collapsed. The airplane then exited the right side of the runway onto the grass median about 1,000 ft from the end of the runway, and the airplane then came to a stop and the right main landing gear (MLG) to collapse. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane had landed hard, which resulted in the right MLG collapsing. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have resulted in the landing gear collapse.
Factual narrative
The pilot said he was flying the RNAV (GPS) runway 36 approach in 3 miles visibility. He said the wind was from 070° at 9 knots. At 50 feet above the missed approach point (MAP), the runway was sighted. He said he was slightly right of runway centerline and there was a right crosswind as well. When the right main landing gear contacted the runway, it folded under the body and the airplane came to a stop. According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the accident site, the pilot made a hard landing that caused the right main landing gear to collapse. The airplane exited the right side of the runway onto the grass about 1,000 feet from the end of the runway. Further examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies or malfunctions that would have resulted in the landing gear collapse. Visibility and wind as reported by the airport's AWOS-3 (Automated Weather Observing System), was 0.25 miles and 100° at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N141JT
- Reported as
- Piaggio P.180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1141
- Built
- 2007
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-660, 850 horsepower, turbo propPratt & Whitnet PT6A-660, 850 hp, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 22, 2017
- Departed
- KADS · Dallas, TX
- Destination
- KGTU · Georgetown, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KGTU · Georgetown Municipal, runway 36, 5,004 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 14, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,811 total · 812 in this make and model · 19,631 as pilot in command · 46 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 0.25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KGTU
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 1, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.