Piper PA-28-161 N8330S

Summary

On 30 December 2011 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N8330S, operated by Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc, was involved in an accident near Raleigh, North Carolina, 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

30 December 2011 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Triple W Airport (5W5)

Coordinates

35.6189, -78.6836

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N8330S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Chapel Hill Flying Club Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sanford → Raleigh

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA160

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's loss of directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a gust of wind at the start of the landing flare, and the airplane drifted to the left side of the runway. The airplane touched down, and during the landing roll, the left main landing gear departed the left side of the runway. The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to control the airplane with rudder input, but the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane veered to the left and came to rest in mud, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The wind recorded at an airport 14 miles to the south about the time of the accident, was from 200 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 16 knots. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.