- Date
- October 2, 1992, 19:57 local (23:57 UTC)
- Place
- Akron, NY
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9242KPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921002040159A
- Case key
- 37246
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 compensate for adverse winds and wind shear. A factor related to the accident was the adverse wind conditions.
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 was conducting a VFR landing on runway 24. The reported wind was from 250 degrees at 22 knots with gusts to 32 knots. The pilot said, 'I was approaching in a standard and normal manner...about two miles...I had a visual on the airport. On final descent my flight speed was approximately 110 mph...at an altitude of approximately 1100 to 1000 feet, a sudden change in the wind forced my airplane to drop. I had no opportunity to react.' The airplane struck trees short of the runway. The FAA inspector said, '...it appears the pilot failed to maintain sufficient airspeed and altitude for the wind conditions.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9242K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7635228
- Airframe hours
- 2,110
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert S. Gordy
- Registered owner
- Robert S. Gordy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 27, 1992 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- ORF · Norfolk, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- 9G3 · Akron, runway 24, 3,310 × 50 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 782 total · 323 in this make and model · 642 as pilot in command · 16.5 in the last 90 days · 11.5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 250° at 22 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.