Piper PA32-301 N326XT
26 March 2006 · Key West, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 26 March 2006 at about 16:20 local time, a Piper PA32-301 registered N326XT was involved in an accident near Key West, Florida, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 16:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Key West, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Key West International (KEYW)
- Coordinates
- 24.5603, -81.7658
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32-301
- Registration
- N326XT
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Venice → Key West
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA06CA072
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll with a crosswind, resulting in collapse of the nose landing gear.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During landing, the airplane exited the runway, and the nose gear collapsed. According to the pilot, the flight proceeded to the destination airport and with the wind from the north at "...10 or more knots. It was also very gusty..." he was cleared to land on runway 09. As the main landing gear contacted the runway the nose of the airplane "lifted unexpectedly and moved to my left. The aircraft then veered sharply to the left and off the side of the runway." The nose landing gear collapsed after it contacted a gravel area just off the runway. He further stated that he should have put in "...better wind corrections and got the aircraft pointed straight down the runway." A surface observation weather report taken at the Key West International Airport on the day of the accident at 1131, or approximately 11 minutes after the accident indicates the wind was from 350 degrees at 15 knots. No wind gusts were reported during that observation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2006 | Piper PA32-301XTC | San Marcos, Texas, United States | Donald L Curry | No injuries | - |
| 27 Dec 2005 | Piper PA32-300 | Maiden, North Carolina, United States | David E. Looper | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2005 | Piper PA32-301 | Brooksville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 2007 | Piper PA32-260 | Marathon, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Piper PA32-300 | Montauk, New York, United States | Mark R. Gosden | No injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2008 | Piper PA32 | New Albany, Mississippi, United States | Cooper Electrical Controls Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Apr 2006 | Lake LA-4-200 | Lake Wales, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Mar 2006 | Mooney M20J | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 2006 | Beechcraft A24R | Okeechobee, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Jul 2006 | Dahlstrom - Piel Emeraude CP-30 | Venice, Florida, United States | David G. Dahlstrom | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2006 | Piper PA-34-200 | Deland, Florida, United States | Phoenix East Aviation, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2006 | Howard DGA-15P | Merritt Island, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |