Piper PA-24-250 N7792P

Summary

On 26 May 2011 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N7792P, operated by Bertolina Arthur T Trustee, was involved in an accident near Sedona, Arizona, 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

26 May 2011 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Sedona, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Sedona Airport (KSEZ)

Coordinates

34.8422, -111.7864

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N7792P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Bertolina Arthur T Trustee

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Upland → Sedona

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA237

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control on the landing roll out. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to attempt a landing in crosswind conditions that exceeded the maximum demonstrated capability of the airplane.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Prior to entering the traffic pattern with the intention to land on runway 21, the pilot contacted the pilot of another airplane that had just landed to inquire about the wind conditions. The pilot that previously landed reported the wind was “a little squirrelly but not bad.” The pilot elected to continue his entry into the traffic pattern and made an uneventful landing. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and exited the runway colliding with a tree and substantially damaging the left wing. At the time of the accident, the airport was reporting the wind as variable from 140 degrees to 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting 32 knots. According to the pilot operating handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component of the airplane was 17 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.