Piper PA-28-121 N2228Z

Summary

On 8 August 1997 at about 16:45 local time, a Piper PA-28-121 registered N2228Z was involved in an accident near Glencoe, Minnesota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 August 1997 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Glencoe, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Glencoe (Y29)

Coordinates

44.7597, -94.1392

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-121

Registration

N2228Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Redwood Falls → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI97LA253

Nobody was injured.

failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing, which resulted in an inadvertent ground swerve and subsequent collision with trees. Factors associated with the accident were: the crosswind, and proximity of trees.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot overflew Glencoe Airport to obtain wind direction, while monitoring the Litchfield and Hutchison, Minnesota, Aviation Weather Observation Stations for wind information. He entered right traffic for runway 13. He said that on his first attempt to land, he could not keep the airplane aligned on the runway, so he performed a go-around and climbed back to traffic pattern altitude. He said, 'I did an extended downwind to give me more time to align with the runway on final. I touched down slightly past the runway number markings. I then became airborne again and did not have enough wind correction. A heavy crosswind pushed me off the left side of the runway which was a grassy area with standing water.' As the pilot was trying to stop the airplane, the airplane's left wing struck a pine tree, turning the airplane 90-degrees from its heading. It then went into a small grove of pine trees and came to a stop. Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. About 15 miles west-northwest at Hutchison, the 1135 cdt wind was reported to be from 170 degrees at 10 knots. About 30 miles northwest at Litchfield, the 1135 cdt wind was reported to be from 170 degrees at 6 gusting 14 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.