- Date
- May 29, 1989, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Frankfort, IL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4980JPiper PA28R-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890529013329A
- Case key
- 14356
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
Pilot's failure to maintain directional control while attempting to land in cross/tailwind conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while he was attempting to land with a right quartering headwind, the wind shifted to a right quartering tailwind and started to gust. The aircraft started to drift to the left, towards some parked airplanes and hangars, so the pilot elected to perform a go-around. While the pilot was attempting to climb out and clear the hangars, the aircraft continued to drift to the left. The left wing struck a hangar, the right wing struck the ground, and the aircraft nosed into the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4980J
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-30733
- Airframe hours
- 4,150
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pickett, Ronald E.
- Registered owner
- Pickett, Ronald E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 8, 1989 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- CGI · Cape Girardeau, MO
- Destination
- C18 · Frankfort, IL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- C18 · Frankfort, runway 9, 3,176 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 259 total · 57 in this make and model · 200 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.