ERA09CA207

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA28-151 · Dover, DE · March 20, 2009

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
March 20, 2009, 14:40 local (18:40 UTC)
Place
Dover, DE
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N41568Piper PA28-151
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control in flight
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 11, 2009
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Eastern Region Aviation
FAA report
20090320004219A
Case key
73533

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 failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Findings · 3

NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedPiper PA-28-151: 9 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotPiper PA-28-151: 10 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Wind: gustsEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Ability to respond/compensatePiper PA-28-151: 2 casesAll aircraft: 1,199 casesProbable cause

Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.

Analysis

The pilot conducted one landing on runway 27, but he "did not like it" because it was "gusty," so he opted to conduct a second landing. The pilot stated that as the airplane was "nearing touchdown," it unexpectedly began a turn to the left. The airplane first touched down approximately 75 feet left of the edge of the runway. It continued on a southerly arc away from the runway, passed through an aircraft tie-down area, and struck two parked airplanes. The accident airplane's right wing separated from the fuselage at the wing root, and the airplane came to rest approximately 346 feet from the centerline of the runway. Runway 27 was 3,582 feet long and 60 feet wide, with a displaced threshold of 350 feet. The only wind information available at the accident airport was a wind sock. About the time of the accident, winds at an airport 9 miles southeast of the airport were reported to be from 330 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts to 18 knots. Calculations revealed that if these winds were present at the accident airport, they would have resulted in crosswind components from 11.7 to 17.5 knots. A required cockpit placard in the airplane stated that the "demonstrated crosswind component" was 17 knots. The pilot reported that he obtained his weather information from commercial television and radio stations. He did not report experiencing any mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane during the accident landing.

Factual narrative

"THIS CASE WAS MODIFIED MAY 5, 2009." The pilot conducted one landing on runway 27, but he "did not like it" because it was "gusty," so he opted to conduct a second landing. The pilot stated that as the airplane was "nearing touchdown," it unexpectedly began a turn to the left. The airplane first touched down approximately 75 feet left of the edge of the runway. It continued on a southerly arc away from the runway, passed through an aircraft tie-down area, and struck two parked airplanes. The accident airplane's right wing separated from the fuselage at the wing root, and the airplane came to rest approximately 346 feet from the centerline of the runway. Runway 27 was 3,582 feet long, 60 feet wide, with a displaced threshold of 350 feet. The only wind information available at the accident airport was a wind sock. About the time of the accident, winds at an airport 9 miles southeast of the airport were reported to be from 330 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts to 18 knots. Calculations revealed that if these winds were present at the accident airport, they would have resulted in crosswind components from 11.7 to 17.5 knots. A required cockpit placard in the airplane stated that the "demonstrated crosswind component" was 17 knots. The pilot reported that he obtained his weather information from commercial television and radio stations. He did not report experiencing any mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane during the accident landing.

Aircraft

Registration
N41568
Reported as
Piper PA28-151
Category
Airplane
Serial number
28-7415274
Airframe hours
3,557
Engine
Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Phill-Air Inc
Registered owner
Phill-Air Inc
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
Last inspection
100 hour · October 12, 2008
Departed
33N · Dover, DE
Destination
33N · Dover, DE
Airport
33N · Delaware Airpark, runway 27, 3,582 × 60 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
59
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
May 8, 2007
Seat
Left
Flight hours
181 total · 39 in this make and model · 147 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
330° at 12 knots, gusting 18
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
5,500 ft overcast
Temperature
45 °F, dew point 27 °F
Observed at
DOV, 9 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.