Summary
On October 23, 1993, a Piper PA-28-161 (N9778C) was involved in an accident near Lexington, NC. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING A CROSSWIND LANDING. A FACTOR WAS THE CROSSWIND CONDITION.
On October 23, 1993, about 1415 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N9778C, collided with a hangar during landing at the Lexington Municipal Airport, Lexington, North Carolina. The airplane was operated by Southeast Airmotive Corp., under 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the solo, cross-country, instructional flight. The student pilot had minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was Charlotte, North Carolina, with an intervening landing at Sanford, North Carolina.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ATL94LA008. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N9778C.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING A CROSSWIND LANDING. A FACTOR WAS THE CROSSWIND CONDITION.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On October 23, 1993, about 1415 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N9778C, collided with a hangar during landing at the Lexington Municipal Airport, Lexington, North Carolina. The airplane was operated by Southeast Airmotive Corp., under 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the solo, cross-country, instructional flight. The student pilot had minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was Charlotte, North Carolina, with an intervening landing at Sanford, North Carolina. The flight departed Sanford at 1330.
The pilot provided the following information: during the landing approach to runway 8 at Lexington, the wind sock was "not fluttering." Just before touchdown the wind was calm. During the landing roll a gust of wind from the right lifted the airplane and blew it to the left. The nose wheel rolled up an incline beside the runway, pitched the nose up, and the airplane bounced into the air. Afterwards, he said, the airplane could not be controlled. The pilot said he had received crosswind landing instruction which consisted of using rudder and aileron to counter the wind and allow it to blow the airplane back to the runway centerline.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ATL94LA008