- Date
- August 26, 2015, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- DeFuniak Springs, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7215WPiper PA 28-180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 5, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Alabama NW Florida FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150826016549A
- Case key
- 91875
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 the landing roll in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion, and collision with a ditch.
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
The pilot reported that during the landing roll it felt as if "air got under the wing." The airplane drifted to the left and departed the runway surface into the grass about 40 miles per hour. During the runway excursion, the pilot reported that he crossed over a parallel taxiway, the nose gear impacted a storm water ditch and collapsed. The firewall sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, the reported wind from the airport automated surface observing system about the time of the accident was 350 degrees true at 9 knots, which resulted in a 9 knot crosswind component. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll it felt as if "air got under the wing." The airplane drifted to the left and departed the runway surface into the grass about 40 miles per hour. During the runway excursion, the pilot reported that he crossed over a parallel taxiway, the nose gear impacted a storm water ditch and collapsed. The firewall sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, the reported wind from the airport automated surface observing system about the time of the accident was 350 degrees true at 9 knots, which resulted in a 9 knot crosswind component. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7215W
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-180 (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-1029
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 2,305
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Media Partners LLC
- Registered owner
- Southern Media Partners LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 30, 2015
- Departed
- EBA · Elberton, GA
- Destination
- 54J · DeFuniak Springs, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 54J · Defuniak Springs, runway 27, 4,146 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 15, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 138 total · 5 in this make and model · 80 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KCEW, 19 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 19, 2015, 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.