On May 19, 1983, a Beech SPORT (registration N24687) operated by Roger L. Lathrop was involved in an aviation accident near Bangor, ME. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing due to a gust of wind, which resulted in the aircraft running off the runway and collapsing the landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A gust of wind pushed an aircraft across the runway during landing, causing the pilot to lose directional control and collapse the landing gear. The student pilot was not injured.
What happened
The aircraft experienced a landing incident involving a loss of directional control. The flight phase was identified as the final landing attempt. According to the factual narrative, the student pilot had previously completed seven successful landings prior to this event.
During the critical moment of touchdown, a gust of wind blew the aircraft laterally across the runway surface. This crosswind component caused the pilot to lose directional control. Consequently, the aircraft departed the left side of the runway. The impact with the ground resulted in the collapse of the landing gear. Despite the structural damage to the aircraft, the student pilot was not injured.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to the accident was the loss of directional control due to wind conditions during the landing phase. The gust of wind was the immediate cause that pushed the aircraft off the runway centerline.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing due to a gust of wind, which resulted in the aircraft running off the runway and collapsing the landing gear.