Summary
On November 16, 2017, a Piper PA 28R (N5381F) was involved in an incident near Melborne, FL. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing roll on the wet runway.
According to the pilot, during an approach in the rain, there were wind gusts and he retracted the flaps to zero. He noted that, "I decided to land a little faster than the preferred 75-80 mph."
The pilot reported that the airplane, "did not settle into a normal rollout." He recalled that a few seconds into the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane continued across the safety area and collided with a drainage culvert.
Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety Inspector assigned to the accident, revealed three parallel rubber skid markings that began about1,500ft from the approach end of runway 9R.
This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA053. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5381F.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing roll on the wet runway.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the pilot, during an approach in the rain, there were wind gusts and he retracted the flaps to zero. He noted that, "I decided to land a little faster than the preferred 75-80 mph."
The pilot reported that the airplane, "did not settle into a normal rollout." He recalled that a few seconds into the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane continued across the safety area and collided with a drainage culvert.
Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety Inspector assigned to the accident, revealed three parallel rubber skid markings that began about1,500ft from the approach end of runway 9R. The markings began in the center of the runway and exhibited a sharp left turn that continued along a path through the safety area and stopped at the drainage culvert.
The pilot reported that the left main landing gear assembly and tire failed during the landing roll.
However, an examination of the landing gear assembly, and the wheel and tire, by the FAA Maintenance Inspector, identified that there were no anomalies or failures prior to the runway excursion.
The METAR at the accident airport reported that about the time of the accident, the rain was light, and the wind was from 010° at 12kts.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA18CA053