Piper PA-32-301 N8290X

Summary

On 2 April 2006 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA-32-301 registered N8290X was involved in an accident near Grayslake, Illinois, United States. 2 people were 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

2 April 2006 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Grayslake, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

Campbell Airport (C81)

Coordinates

42.3244, -88.0739

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-301

Registration

N8290X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Washington Is → Grayslake

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI06CA103

Nobody was injured.

The pilot failed to compensate adequately for the crosswind condition and failed to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Contributing factors included the crosswind, the narrow runway, soft ground, and the ditch.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The single-engine airplane veered off the left side of runway 9 (3,270 feet by 40 feet, asphalt) during landing and sustained substantial damage. The winds 11 miles from the accident airport were 120 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 21 knots. The pilot reported that he flew a Global Positioning System (GPS) approach and cancelled his instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan when he had the airport in sight. He entered a left downwind for landing on runway 9 and confirmed a right crosswind condition by observing the windsock. The airspeed was 90 knots with a right "crab" on final approach to landing. The pilot reported, "Prior to touchdown the wind calmed to the point that the crab was not needed." He reported the airplane touched down on the centerline of the dry runway. He reported, "Almost immediately after touchdown, the plane started moving left." He reacted by putting in full right aileron and applying right rudder, but he did not apply any pressure to the toe brakes. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway. The airplane encountered soft terrain, spun around, and impacted a ditch. The inspection of the airplane revealed that the wheels spun freely when turned and the brakes did not stick. The tires had no flat spots. The inspection of the runway revealed that there was no long skid mark on the runway, but there were black skid marks about 2 feet in length that were about 20 feet apart. There was no indication of braking when the airplane came in contact with the grass.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.