DEN03LA093

The pilot landed on runway 36 with a crosswind of 290 degrees for 13 knots. During the landing roll, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and struck rocks, which removed the fixed landing gear. Subsequently, the engine mount was bent, the bottom of the fuselage forward of the wings was wrinkled, and the empennage was bent. Flight control continuity was confirmed, and not other anomalies were found.

On May 31, 2003, approximately 1740 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-150, N5886W, was substantially damaged when it veered off the runway while making a landing at Carbon County Airport, Price, Utah. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. G & B Flying Club of Bountiful, Utah, was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight, which originated Bountiful, Utah, approximately 2 hours, 25 minutes before the accident.

The pilot said that he was landing on runway 36 with a left crosswind from 290 degrees for 13 knots. He said that he landed the airplane "just fine" and began a "touch-and-go" takeoff. He said that he noticed a flock of birds, and at 55 knots he "pulled back the yoke and caused the airplane to climb avoiding the birds.

The pilot said that he "climbed to 50 ft tops, and started to feel that the airplane was sinking, even though the airspeed at this point had reached 65 knots [the density altitude was calculated to be 9,204 feet]. I also noticed that the airplane was drifting to the right even when applying left rudder's [rudder] pedal and aligning the airplane with the centerline." He stated that "still the airplane was sinking." He said that there was runway available to land, but the airplane continued to drift to the right despite having "full left rudder pedal and yoke to the left applied." After landing the airplane, he "throttled down and started to apply brakes when I was completely blown off the right edge of the runway and lost control hitting the rock[s] that was [were] aligned parallel to the runway due to some construction [the rocks were located approximately 125 feet east of the runway]."

An examination of the airplane revealed the airplane's engine mount was bent, the bottom of the fuselage forward of the wings was wrinkled, and the empennage was bent. Flight control continuity was confirmed. No preimpact engine or airframe anomalies, which might have affected the airplane's performance, were identified.