Piper PA-24-180 N6617P

Summary

On 21 August 2005 at about 15:40 local time, a Piper PA-24-180 registered N6617P was involved in an accident near Hancock, New York, 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

21 August 2005 at 15:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Hancock, New York, United States

Nearest airport

White Birch Field Airport (4N8)

Coordinates

42.0500, -75.3008

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-180

Registration

N6617P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fredricksburg → Hancock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC05CA135

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions, which resulted in the airplane impacting the ground. A factor in the accident was the downdraft wind condition, as reported by the pilot.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot entered the traffic pattern for runway 35, and on the base leg, he added two notches of flaps and trimmed the airplane to maintain 85 knots. During the final approach to the runway, the airplane encountered a gust of wind (downdraft). The pilot applied power; however, the airplane impacted the rising terrain prior to the approach end of the runway, and slid approximately 200 feet before coming to rest. The winds reported at an airport 31 miles to the southeast were from 260 degrees at 8 knots.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.