Piper PA-28-161 N537PU

Summary

On 4 April 1998 at about 18:49 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N537PU was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Indiana, 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

4 April 1998 at 18:49

Classification

Accident

Location

Lafayette, Indiana, United States

Nearest airport

Purdue University (LAF)

Coordinates

40.4407, -86.9095

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N537PU

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI98LA115

Nobody was injured.

the student pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the gusty wind conditions during landing. A factor was the gusty wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot reported he made one landing followed by a go-around. On the third landing, while at an altitude of 2 to 4 feet agl, the airplane landed 'harder than usual' with the nose gear contacting the runway followed by the main gear. The nose gear collapsed when it contacted the runway and the airplane veered off the side of the runway into the grass. The landing was made on runway 5, with the pilot reporting the winds from 040 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 21 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.