- Date
- May 17, 2012, 13:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, VT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N630TGPiper PA46
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120517008259A
- Case key
- 83681
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 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, during landing the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind. He applied full right rudder in an attempt to compensate for the wind, but the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, struck a runway sign and a runway light, and came to rest in a field; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport about the time of the accident was from 290 degrees at 7 knots gusting to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane incurred a strong gust of wind during landing that lifted the left wing and subsequently the left main landing gear off the ground. He applied full right rudder in an attempt to compensate for the wind, but the airplane continued to veer off the left side of the runway, and struck a runway sign as well as a runway light. The airplane came to rest in a field which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport at around the time of the accident was 310 degrees at 10 knots gusting 21 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N630TG
- Reported as
- Piper PA46 (350T)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4692079
- Airframe hours
- 339
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO 540 AE2A, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David Panagrossi
- Registered owner
- David Panagrossi
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 29, 2012
- Departed
- BLM · Monmouth, NJ
- Destination
- VSF · Springfield, VT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- VSF · Hartness State Airport, runway 29, 3,000 × 75 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 418 total · 325 in this make and model · 250 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- VSF, 5 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 5, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 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.