- Date
- June 6, 2014, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Defuniak Springs, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2890ZPiper PA-28-201T
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140606009029A
- Case key
- 89404
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 in gusty wind conditions during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Findings · 5
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, he was flying the airplane to a nearby airport for a maintenance inspection. On the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern the pilot received current wind information from a pilot on the ground. He then configured the airplane to land and flew a "normal approach." During landing, the main landing gear touched down just past the displaced threshold while the airplane was travelling at 77 knots. The airplane "bounced" and, while in the air, the pilot held the airplane at a "normal landing attitude." The airplane was then "hit by a gust of wind" from the left and the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and continued over grass. The nose landing gear impacted a mound of dirt and collapsed. The airplane traveled a few hundred feet past the mound and eventually came to rest in a nose down attitude. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall and engine mounts. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that could have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was flying the airplane to a nearby airport for a maintenance inspection. On the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern the pilot received current wind information from a pilot on the ground. He then configured the airplane to land and flew a "normal approach." During landing, the main landing gear touched down just past the displaced threshold while the airplane was travelling at 77 knots. The airplane "bounced" and, while in the air, the pilot held the airplane at a "normal landing attitude." The airplane was then "hit by a gust of wind" from the left and the airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and continued over grass. The nose landing gear impacted a mound of dirt and collapsed. The airplane traveled a few hundred feet past the mound and eventually came to rest in a nose down attitude. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the firewall and engine mounts. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that could have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2890Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-201T (201T)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7921089
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 8,182
- Engine
- Cont Motor TSIO-360 SER, 201 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Turbo D LLC
- Registered owner
- Turbo D LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 10, 2013
- Departed
- DTS · Destin, FL
- Destination
- 54J · Defuniak Springs, FL
- Airport
- 54J · Defuniak Springs, runway 27, 4,146 × 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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 877.4 total · 500 in this make and model · 877.4 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- CEW, 19 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 2, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.3 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.