- Date
- December 30, 2011, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Raleigh, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8330SPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111230029859A
- Case key
- 82754
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 loss of directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions.
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.
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
According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a gust of wind at the start of the landing flare, and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The airplane touched down, and during the landing roll, the left main landing gear departed the left side of the runway. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to control the airplane with rudder input, but the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane veered to the left and came to rest in mud, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The wind recorded at an airport 14 miles to the south about the time of the accident, was from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, a gust of wind struck the airplane as he began the landing flare, and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The airplane touched down, and during the landing roll the left main landing gear departed the left side of the runway. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to control the airplane with rudder input, but the left wing struck a tree, the airplane veered to the left, and came to rest in mud off the side of the runway resulting in substantial damage. The wind, recorded at an airport 14 miles to the south about the time of the accident, was from 200 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 16 knots. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8330S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8116144
- Airframe hours
- 10,821
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TTA · Sanford, NC
- Destination
- 5W5 · Raleigh, NC
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 5W5 · Triple W Airport, runway 16, 3,004 × 40 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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 19, 2011
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 54 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- HRG, 14 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.