Piper PA-22 N1415A

Summary

On 23 August 2009 at about 17:55 local time, a Piper PA-22 registered N1415A was involved in an accident near Tuskegee, Alabama, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 August 2009 at 17:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Tuskegee, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Moton Field Municipal Airport (06A)

Coordinates

32.4606, -85.6800

Aircraft

Piper PA-22

Registration

N1415A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Covington → Tuskegee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09CA475

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the aborted landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

At the completion of a cross country flight, the pilot entered the traffic pattern for a landing on runway 31. The pilot was advised via the airport Unicom frequency that the winds were unpredictable, and observed that “the windsock indicated little if any wind.” After the flare for landing on the 5,003-foot-long by 100-foot-wide asphalt runway, the tail-wheel-equipped airplane "weathervaned" to the right. The pilot then decided to abort the landing; however the airplane departed the right side of the runway and impacted a berm, resulting in serious injury to the pilot and substantial damage to the airplane. Winds recorded 16 nautical miles northeast of the airport were aligned with the runway heading at 9 knots, gusting to 14 knots. Another airport located 31 nautical miles northwest recorded winds at 330 degrees at 9 knots gusting to 19 knots. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The inspector found skid marks from both tires on the runway surface and he noted that the airplane sustained damage to the engine firewall, fuselage, and wings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.