- Date
- September 15, 2020, 14:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Englewood, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N596STPiper PA46
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200915018439A
- Case key
- 101978
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 landing in gusting winds.
Findings · 5
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 the straight in approach for landing was "bumpy" due to winds and terrain. About touchdown, a "severe wind event caused what felt like a potential upset" as the left wing lifted and there was an uncommanded downturn to the right. The pilot applied full power to bank left and climb, but the airplane did not climb. The left-wing tip scraped the runway, and the airplane was forced to the right. Before the pilot was able to regain control, the airplane impacted a taxiway sign and several runway lights. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the rear wing spar and wing root. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N596ST
- Reported as
- Piper PA46 (350P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4636596
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 1,147
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 2020
- Departed
- PVW · Plainview, TX
- Destination
- APA · Englewood, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- APA · Centennial Airport, runway 35R, 10,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 26, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,935 total · 722 in this make and model · 2,887 as pilot in command · 67 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- APA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 798 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.