- Date
- October 25, 1996, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Jenison, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1178XPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 23, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961025033799A
- Case key
- 10483
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 the wind conditions. A factor was the crosswind condition.
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 stated that during the approach to runway 32, he encountered a crosswind. On initial touchdown, the nose landing gear of the airplane impacted on the runway and the airplane exited the side of the runway. Winds at an airport 14 miles to the east southeast of the accident, 56 minutes after the accident, were reported to be 180 degrees at 11 knots.
Factual narrative
On October 25, 1996, at 1400 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N1178X, sustained substantial damage while landing on runway 32 (3,761' X 46' dry/asphalt) at Jenison, Michigan. The pilot said that during the flare the airplane descended and hit on the nose landing gear. The private pilot and his passenger reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on time. The flight departed Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 1315.
The pilot said that he was landing with a 90 degree crosswind, but did not estimate the wind velocity. He said that he understood the wind at Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was 14 miles east-southeast of the accident to be 205 degrees at 7 knots.
The reported winds at Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 1456, 56 minutes after the accident were 180 degrees at 11 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1178X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7505220
- Airframe hours
- 2,290
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ted F. Platt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1996
- Departed
- GRR · Grand Rapids, MI
- Destination
- 08C
- Airport
- 08C · Jenison/Riverview, runway 32, 2,771 × 46 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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 211 total · 49 in this make and model · 114 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KGR, 14 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.