N115ND

On June 9, 2000, at 1045 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N115ND, struck a distance remaining marker sign on the landing rollout at the Williams Gateway Airport, Mesa, Arizona. The airplane, owned and operated by the University of North Dakota under 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight, sustained substantial damage. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local training flight, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at 0900 from the accident airport and was scheduled to terminate at the time of the accident.

The student pilot, on a supervised solo flight, had returned from the practice area to practice stop-and-go landings on runway 12R. On the first landing the airplane veered to the right side of the runway, and struck a distance remaining sign with the right wing. After the collision, the airplane taxied to the ramp without further incident.

The Automatic Terminal Information System (ATIS) broadcast located on the field reported at 0947 the winds to be 120 degrees at 6 knots. At 1050, the winds were reported to be from 180 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 20 knots. Witnesses at the accident site reported that the winds were variable in direction with gusty conditions. According to the pilot's operating handbook (POH), the demonstrated crosswind capability for this airplane is 17 knots. According to the chart, the effective crosswind component at the time of the accident was 17 knots.

The student had received the prescribed dual instruction in the performance of crosswind landings according to his training records.