Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and failure to maintain directional cntrol of the airplane, which resulted in a ground swerve and collapse of the right main landing gear. The crosswind was a related factor.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On February 12, 1997, at 1545 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N15013, collided with the ground and collapsed the right main landing gear during an attempted landing on runway 04 at the Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston Salem, North Carolina. The personal flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot was not injured. The flight departed Winston Salem at 1540.
The flight had been cleared for a touch and go landing when shortly after the touch phase of the procedure the airplane veered off the right side of the runway. The pilot reported that during the landing roll, he experienced some difficulty with the brakes, and the airplane veered off the runway into a grassy area. During the uncontrolled movement of the airplane, the right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing spar was damaged.
A review of the weather data disclosed that, the prevailing winds were 320 degrees at seven knots when the pilot attempted the landing. An examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical problem with the brake system.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL97LA041