Piper PA-32-300 N3051U

Summary

On 18 February 2001 at about 23:00 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N3051U was involved in an accident near Angel Fire, New Mexico, 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

18 February 2001 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Angel Fire, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Angel Fire (AXX)

Coordinates

36.3891, -105.2692

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N3051U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colo. Springs → Angel Fire

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN01LA054

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing. Contributing factors were the crosswind, the pilot exceeding the published maximum demonstrated crosswind component, and the snow bank.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

As the airplane approached runway 35, the pilot applied "full cross control" for the crosswind that the airport reported to be from 260 degrees at 20 knots and gusting. Wind gusts were reportedly between 24 and 30 knots. When the airplane touched down 4,500 feet past the threshold, "a strong gust of wind" pushed the airplane to the right side of the runway and the pilot aborted the landing. During the abort, the nose landing gear was damaged when it struck a 24-inch high snow bank at the 5,900-foot mark. Witnesses said the airplane nearly "cartwheeled." The pilot turned the airplane around and landed on runway 17. The airplane touched down at the 6,150-foot mark and skidded on its nose to a halt at the 7,100-foot mark (8,900 foot runway). The airplane's demonstrated crosswind component is 17 knots. The computed crosswind component was 90 degrees at 20 knots, 24 knots, or 30 knots, depending on the reported wind velocity used.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.