N9375K

On May 14, 1995, at 1130 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-181, N9375K, collided with the ground during an attempted landing at Oneonta Municipal Airport, Oneonta, New York. The certificated private pilot and one passenger were seriously injured while the other two passengers received minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. The flight originated in Poughkeepsie, New York, at 1030, with an intended destination of Oneonta, New York.

The pilot reported that he was executing a normal approach for a landing on runway 24 when the airplane encountered a sudden gust of wind from the left side. The pilot stated that the right wing struck the ground and the airplane veered off the right side of the runway.

The airplane was examined at the accident site by the FAA Safety Inspector and he reported that there was no mechanical malfunction. The Inspector also reported that the reported wind at the time of the accident was 140 degrees at 20 knots, with gusts to 27 knots. According to the FAA Inspector, a witness reported that the airplane was about to land on runway 24 when the nose pulled up in a steep attitude, the right wing dropped, and the airplane impacted the ground about 160 feet off the right side of the runway.