No fatalities

10 Feb 2008: Beech 23 — Pineland, FL

Pineland, FL, United States

On 10 Feb 2008, a Beech 23 was involved in an aviation accident near Pineland, FL. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing. Contributing was the gusting wind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a crosswind landing on a turf runway, a Beech 23 was struck by a gust, banked left, then after touchdown the left wing tip hit a bush, pivoting the aircraft into brush, causing partial wing separation.

Incident Details

The pilot of a Beech 23 reported that while crossing the approach end of a 1,800-foot-long by 130-foot-wide turf runway, the airplane encountered a "powerful gust" which induced a steep left bank. The pilot corrected the bank and leveled the wings. The airplane touched down with a heading approximately 10 degrees left of the runway centerline.

Sequence of Events

After rolling about 50 feet, the left wing tip contacted a bush. This contact pivoted the airplane further to the left. Subsequently, the airplane struck additional brush, resulting in a partial separation of the left wing from the fuselage.

Wind Conditions

The pilot estimated the winds during the landing approach as a 45- to 50-degree crosswind at 13 knots, with gusts ranging between 15 and 20 knots.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

GustsObject/animal/substance