- Date
- May 17, 1997, 15:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N38718Piper PA-28R-201
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 7, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970517013929A
- Case key
- 29795
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 attempt to land the aircraft under crosswind conditions that exceeded the performance capability of the aircraft.
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 initiated an approach to runway 18 with the right wing low and landed on the right main gear. After the right tire touched down, the right wing came up and the aircraft veered to the left. The aircraft ran off the left side of the runway and struck a row of very large rocks that were alongside the runway. The main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft slid into a 8-foot rocky drop-off. The pilot stated that he did not have enough airspeed to attempt a go-around so he opted to allow the aircraft to run off the runway. The tower advised the pilot that surface winds were from 230 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25. The pilot operating handbook for the aircraft states the maximum demonstrated crosswind component is 17 knots. Considering that limitation, the maximum allowable component for a 50-degree crosswind was computed to be 19.15 knots.
Factual narrative
On May 17, 1997, at 1540 hours Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-201, ran off the runway and struck a ditch while landing in Henderson, Nevada. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; however, neither the pilot nor his passenger was injured. The aircraft was being operated by the pilot/owner as a personal flight when the accident occurred. The flight originated in Bakersfield, California, about 1400. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the destination airport and no flight plan was filed.
The tower operator reported that the pilot had made four previous go-arounds to runway 18 before landing on the fifth attempt. The pilot initiated the approach with the right wing low and landed on the right main gear. After the right tire touched down, the right wing came up and the aircraft veered to the left. The aircraft ran off the left side of the runway about 100 feet beyond the point of initial touchdown and struck a row of very large rocks that were alongside the runway. The main landing gear collapsed and the aircraft stopped after sliding into a 8-foot rocky drop-off.
The pilot stated that he did not have enough airspeed to attempt a go-around so he opted to allow the aircraft to run off the runway. The tower advised the pilot that the surface winds were from 230 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25. The pilot operating handbook for the aircraft states the maximum demonstrated crosswind component is 17 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N38718
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R7737111
- Airframe hours
- 3,600
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-CIC6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- S & S Flight Center
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 28, 1996 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- L45 · Bakersfield, CA
- Destination
- L15 · NV
- Airport
- L15 · Henderson, runway 18, 5,000 × 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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 111 total · 97 in this make and model · 55 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 18 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 97 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS, 7 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.