On April 27, 2003, a Stinson 108-1 (registration N97930) was involved in an aviation accident near Romeoville, IL. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in the aircraft departing the runway. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft departed the runway during landing rollout after a wind gust caused it to weather vane, leaving the pilot unable to maintain directional control despite reported gusts up to 21 knots.
What happened
The aircraft was conducting a landing operation on runway 27. During the landing rollout phase, the airplane encountered a sudden wind gust. This gust caused the aircraft to weather vane significantly off the runway centerline. The pilot attempted to correct the trajectory but was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane. As a result, the aircraft departed the paved surface of the runway.
Findings
Meteorological data indicated that reported winds were from 200 degrees magnetic at 15 knots, with gusts reaching up to 21 knots. The combination of these wind conditions and the pilot's inability to counteract the weather vaning effect led directly to the departure from the runway.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing rollout in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in the aircraft departing the runway.
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