Piper PA-20 N7001K

Summary

On 13 April 2012 at about 18:18 local time, a Piper PA-20 registered N7001K, operated by Jersey Devil Dusters LLC, was involved in an accident near Cross Keys, New Jersey, 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

13 April 2012 at 18:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Cross Keys, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Cross Keys Airport (17N)

Coordinates

40.2990, -74.5206

Aircraft

Piper PA-20

Registration

N7001K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jersey Devil Dusters LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Medford → Cross Keys

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA287

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing, which resulted in the overstress and subsequent failure of the right main landing gear assembly.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, minimal wind correction was required while on the final leg of the approach. Airport surveillance camera footage indicated that the airplane landed and veered several times left and right before departing the left side of the runway, where it came to rest. Rubber tire marks were evident on the runway near the airplane’s touch down point. Farther down the runway, a single rubber tire mark and wing paint transfer were observed, beginning left of the runway centerline and continuing onto the intersecting taxiway, near where the airplane came to rest. Postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear failed during the landing. Although internal corrosion of the landing gear was noted, a detailed examination of the failed landing gear revealed no corrosion associated with the overstress fracture surfaces. Although major repairs were performed on the landing gear assembly about 43 years before the accident, there was no indication that those repairs contributed to the accident. Based on physical and security camera evidence, it is likely that upon landing, the pilot placed a sideload on the landing gear, tried to realign with the runway centerline, but overcorrected and subsequently lost control.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.