- Date
- December 20, 2001, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Show Low, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6742JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - FSDO
- FAA report
- 20011220036379A
- Case key
- 53946
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were a crosswind and wind gusts.
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 student pilot departed for the local practice area and the winds were about 10 knots. By the time he returned for landing, the wind velocity had increased to 20 knots from 150 degrees. He experienced a strong wind gust as he was landing. The left wing contacted the ground and the nose gear sheared off. He was not aware that the nose wheel had sheared off; he tried to power up but couldn't due to the propeller damage. The airplane departed the runway and came to rest.
Factual narrative
On December 20, 2001, about 1000 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N6742J, sustained a hard landing at Show Low, Arizona. The owner was operating the rental airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The solo student pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The local instructional flight departed Show Low about 0900. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The student pilot stated he departed for the local practice area and the winds were about 10 knots. By the time he returned for landing, the wind velocity had increased to 20 knots from 150 degrees. He experienced a strong wind gust as he was landing. The left wing contacted the ground and the nose gear sheared off. He was not aware that the nose wheel had sheared off; he tried to power up but couldn't due to the propeller damage. The airplane departed the runway and came to rest.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6742J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24827
- Airframe hours
- 3,273
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James M. Robbins
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 9, 2001 · 71 hours before
- Departed
- SOW · Show Low, AZ
- Airport
- SOW · Show Low, runway 21, 3,937 × 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 33 total · 33 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- SOW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.