- Date
- August 29, 1992, 14:41 local (21:41 UTC)
- Place
- Casa Grande, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8647WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920829034149A
- Case key
- 27750
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 pilots inadequate compensation for the existing wind conditions. The gusty nature of the cross wind condiitons encountered was a factor.
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 said he landed the aircraft on runway 5 and lost directional control after encountering a 'bad cross wind.' The aircraft struck a runway light fixture with the left wing tip, cartwheeled, then nosed over. A autob weather observation taken 5 minutes after the accident was reporting winds from 150 degrees at 15 knots with gusts to 21 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8647W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-10163
- Airframe hours
- 2,519
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William S. Thomas
- Registered owner
- William S. Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 6, 1991 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- CGZ
- Airport
- CGZ · Casa Grande Muni, runway 5, 5,200 × 100 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 179 total · 34 in this make and model · 135 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- CGZ, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.