- Date
- April 4, 1996, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7561RPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960404009019A
- Case key
- 29413
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 the crosswind condition and subsequent failure to maintain directional control. The crosswind 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 lost directional control during the landing roll, exited the runway, and collided with an airport sign. The pilot said that he lost control of the airplane due to the prevailing 30 to 40-degree crosswind component between 15 and 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 4, 1996, at 1030 hours Pacific standard time, a Piper PA28-140, N7561R, veered off the runway and collided with an airport taxi sign during the landing roll on runway 31L at Palm Springs Airport, Palm Springs, California. The pilot was completing a visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Palm Springs Airport at 0900 hours.
The pilot stated in the accident report that he lost control of the airplane due to the prevailing 15 to 25 knots crosswind. He indicated that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
An FAA airworthiness inspector from the Riverside [California] Flight Standards District Office, conducted the on-scene investigation. The inspector reported that a controller at the Palm Springs airport traffic control tower reported that he saw smoke coming from the left wheel during the roll. The airplane then swerved to the left and its left wing struck the airport taxi sign.
The inspector reported that the left tire did not exhibit any abnormal wear or flat spots. The brake system operated normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7561R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-22125
- Airframe hours
- 3,187
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William Buries
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 20, 1995 · 101 hours before
- Departed
- PSP
- Airport
- PSP · Palms Springs, runway 31L, 8,500 × 150 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
- 75
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,240 total · 140 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 25 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7561R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.