Piper PA-28R-200 N40956

Summary

On 20 April 2019 at about 14:46 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N40956 was involved in an accident near St. Cloud, Minnesota, 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

20 April 2019 at 14:46

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Cloud, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC)

Coordinates

45.5481, -94.0697

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N40956

Category

Airplane

Year built

1973

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sauk Centre → St. Cloud

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA125

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to land in crosswind conditions given his lack of recent experience in those conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that the airplane operated normally during the personal flight. He stated that before touchdown at the destination airport, he applied left rudder and had the right wing down into the wind to counter the crosswinds and maintain the center line of the runway. At touchdown, he held the control yoke to the right and was applying the brakes; however, the airplane veered left and exited the runway. The airplane traveled about 50 ft into the grass, and the right main landing gear collapsed; the right wing struck the ground and sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination confirmed flight control continuity. The airplane was equipped with an engine monitoring system, and data indicated that the engine and propeller operated normally during the flight. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Weather at the destination airport about 1 hour before the accident was wind from 180° at 13 knots gusting to 20 knots; the automated weather report that the pilot received en route was similar. The crosswind component was within the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for this airplane; however, the pilot stated, "Looking back, I should have never gone up with crosswinds that high, with little to no practice in crosswinds logged in the last 30, 60, [or] 90 days." Thus, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain directional control during landing in crosswind conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.