- Date
- September 22, 1991, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Friendswood, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8457WPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910922042279A
- Case key
- 23400
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. A factor in the accident was mechanical turbulence caused by nearby buildings.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that he encountered a gust of wind during the flare which caused the airplane to drift to the right. The right main gear touched down off of the shoulder of the pavement and the airplane continued to drift right until it struck a fence. The pilot's attempts to correct the drift were not successful. The winds were down the runway at 7 knots; however, it was noted that there were hangars erected about 200 feet off of both sides of the touchdown zone.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8457W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2693
- Airframe hours
- 1,958
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Allie S. Walton
- Registered owner
- Allie S. Walton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 1991 · 14 hours before
- Airport
- 7X50 · Polly Ranch, runway 11, 2,600 × 24 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 63 total · 63 in this make and model · 49 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.