- Date
- March 12, 2016, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pearland, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9309JPiper PA 28
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160312002909A
- Case key
- 92831
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 gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with an airport sign.
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 in gusty wind conditions with aileron corrections applied, the airplane began to weather vane to the left. He further reported that as the airplane slowed down the landing gear tires "suddenly regained traction". Subsequently, the airplane veered to the right, departed the runway, and the right main landing gear impacted an airport sign and collapsed. The right wing sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing roll in gusty wind conditions with aileron corrections applied, the airplane began to weather vane to the left. He further reported that as the airplane slowed down the landing gear tires "suddenly regained traction". Subsequently, the airplane veered to the right, departed the runway, and the right main landing gear impacted an airport sign and collapsed. The right wing sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9309J
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28 (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3401
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 3,890.3
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 2016
- Departed
- LVJ · Pearland, TX
- Destination
- LVJ · Pearland, TX
- Airport
- LVJ · Pearland Rgnl, runway 14, 4,313 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 20, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 487 total · 20 in this make and model · 361 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KLVJ
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 29, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.