# NTSB CHI98LA289: Piper PA-28-140, N8398R, Laporte, IN, August 2, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 2, 1998, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Laporte, IN - Coordinates: 41.600574, -86.710578 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6006&lon=-86.7106&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 19, 1999 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 43590 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI98LA289 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/43590/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA289 ## Probable cause was the student pilot s inadequate compensation for the wind conditions he encountered during the landing phase. A factor in this accident was the pilot s lack of total experience. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with object, go-around (vfr) - object - airport sign/marker - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - lack of total experience, pilot in command (contributing factor) - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command ## Analysis The student pilot said the airplane drifted beyond the runway's edge due to a sudden gust of wind from the airplane's right side. The airplane's left main landing gear collided with a runway marking sign shortly after the pilot applied full power for a go around. The landing gear separated from the wing's main spar attach point and fell to the earth. The pilot flew the airplane for about 1-hour after the accident returning to the airport and landing on the same runway he had departed. ## Factual narrative On August 2, 1998, at 1330 central daylight time (cdt), a Piper PA-28-140, N8398R, piloted by student pilot, was substantially damaged when its left main landing gear collided with an airport runway marking sign during a takeoff from a touch and go landing maneuver on runway 02 (4,395' X 60' dry asphalt) at the LaPorte Municipal Airport, LaPorte, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed LaPorte, Indiana, at 1330 cdt. According to the pilot, he was making a third landing on the runway. He said the airplane was "...about 1 to 2-feet off the ground... [when he] noticed..." a pretty strong crosswind over my right wing. He said a "...strong gust of wind blew [the airplane] to the left of the runway." The airplane s left main landing gear collided with the runway marking sign shortly after the airplane's ground track went beyond the runway's left edge and the pilot had applied full power. The landing gear assembly separated from the main spar attach point and fell to the ground during the airplane's climb out. The pilot flew the airplane for about 1-hour before returning to the airport and landing on runway 02. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8398R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8398R), registered now, S/N 28-22275, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-28-140 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (registry code 7102802) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-22275 - Airframe hours: 4017 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E2A 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Jlg Air, Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, July 21, 1998, 13 hours before - Departed: PPO - Destination: PPO - Airport: PPO, La Porte Municipal Airpor, runway 2, 4,400 × 60 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 45; student; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 27 total, 27 in this make and model, 7 as pilot in command, 24 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 10 knots - Temperature: 84 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980802019289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980802019289A), Aug 2, 1998: Piper PA28140, Laporte, IN, Substantial damage. Acft was practicing touch and go landing when it struck a rwy marker sign and lost the left main landing gear on takeoff, the acft flew for about one hour… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.