CEN20LA130

The pilot landed on a narrow grass runway and was about midfield when the airplane encountered a gusty crosswind that pushed the airplane to the left. The pilot countered with right rudder, but the airplane exited the left side of the runway and struck trees, substantially damaging the left wing. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that contributed to the accident.

On March 22, 2020, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177, N34517, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Harrisville, Michigan. The pilot and 2 passengers were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he was giving rides to friends in the local pattern at the Harrisville Municipal Airport (5Y0). During the third landing on runway 21, as the airplane passed a gap in the trees on the left side of the runway, a strong wind gust caught the elevator and pushed the airplane to the left and off the grass runway. The reported winds were 120 degrees at 7 knots, equating to a crosswind coming from the left. After the airplane struck trees after it departed the runway resulting in substantial leading-edge damage to the left wing’s spar. The pilot did not report any mechanical control anomalies during the landing and rollout. The pilot reported that the runway was marked with yellow cones along its length, making the landing area about 60-ft in width. However, the runway grass/area is about 100-ft in width. He stated that for some reason, the runway is not centered on the available landing area. Thereby placing an airplane that is landing in proximity to trees bordering the east side of the runway. The pilot offered safety recommendations: 1) Relocate the runway centerline to align with the center of the usable grass/turf area. 2) Move edge cone markers to increase the width of the runway. 3) Remove trees on the East side of the airport to provide additional clearance.