- Date
- March 17, 2009, 14:59 local (21:59 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8215PPiper PA-24-250
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090317004049A
- Case key
- 73519
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 crosswinds during touchdown.
Findings · 5
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during touchdown he felt a change in the right crosswind component and his downwind (left) landing gear contacted the ground first. Subsequent right rudder corrections were insufficient and the airplane veered off of the left side of the runway, down an embankment, and impacted an airport perimeter fence. The right wing received an 18-inch-deep by 8-inch-wide indentation approximately 4 feet outboard of the wing root and impact damage to the right wing tip fuel tank.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during touchdown on runway 29, he felt a change in the right crosswind component and his downwind (left) landing gear contacted the ground first. Subsequent right rudder corrections were insufficient and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, down an embankment, and impacted an airport perimeter fence. The right wing received an 18-inch-deep by 8-inch-wide indentation approximately 4 feet outboard of the wing root and the right wing tip fuel tank was impact damaged. Reported winds at the airport were from 020 degrees at 9 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8215P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3468
- Airframe hours
- 4,907
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540 SERIES, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hodson Keith D
- Registered owner
- Hodson Keith D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2008
- Departed
- FFZ · Mesa, AZ
- Destination
- SBP · San Luis Obispo, CA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- SBP · San Luis County Regional Apt, runway 29, 6,100 × 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 12, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 15 in this make and model · 84 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBP
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 N8215P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.