- Date
- March 26, 2006, 11:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Key West, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N326XTPiper PA32-301
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060326003279A
- Case key
- 63437
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll with a crosswind, resulting in collapse of the nose landing gear.
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
During landing, the airplane exited the runway, and the nose gear collapsed. According to the pilot, the flight proceeded to the destination airport and with the wind from the north at "...10 or more knots. It was also very gusty..." he was cleared to land on runway 09. As the main landing gear contacted the runway the nose of the airplane "lifted unexpectedly and moved to my left. The aircraft then veered sharply to the left and off the side of the runway." The nose landing gear collapsed after it contacted a gravel area just off the runway. He further stated that he should have put in "...better wind corrections and got the aircraft pointed straight down the runway." A surface observation weather report taken at the Key West International Airport on the day of the accident at 1131, or approximately 11 minutes after the accident indicates the wind was from 350 degrees at 15 knots. No wind gusts were reported during that observation.
Factual narrative
On March 26, 2006, about 1120 eastern standard time, a Piper PA32-301XTC, registered to and operated by a private individual, ran off the runway and collapsed the nose landing gear during landing at Key West International Airport, Key West, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight from Venice Municipal Airport, Venice, Florida, to Key West International Airport. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated about 1000, from Venice Municipal Airport.
The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport and with the wind from the north at "...10 or more knots. It was also very gusty..." he was cleared to land on runway 09. As the main landing gear contacted the runway the nose of the airplane "lifted unexpectedly and moved to my left. The aircraft then veered sharply to the left and off the side of the runway." The nose landing gear collapsed after it contacted a gravel area just off the runway. He further stated that he should have put in "...better wind corrections and got the aircraft pointed straight down the runway."
A surface observation weather report taken at the Key West International Airport on the day of the accident at 1131, or approximately 11 minutes after the accident indicates the wind was from 350 degrees at 15 knots. No wind gusts were reported during that observation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N326XT
- Reported as
- Piper PA32-301
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3255001
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bogdan Jakubowski
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KVNC · Venice, FL
- Destination
- KEYW · Key West, FL
- Airport
- KEYW · Key West International, runway 09
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 159 total · 34 in this make and model · 74 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.