No fatalities

20 May 2009: PIPER PA-20 — Frank Klein — Glendale, AZ

Glendale, AZ, United States

On 20 May 2009, a PIPER PA-20 operated by Frank Klein was involved in an aviation accident near Glendale, AZ. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind conditions and failure to maintain directional control on the landing roll out. 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

A pilot reported a normal landing in a 50-degree crosswind when the left wing dropped, causing the airplane to skid right and impact a runway light. No mechanical issues were noted.

Event Description

According to the pilot, the flight to the accident airport proceeded normally. During landing in a 50-degree crosswind, the pilot observed no unusual drift on final approach and executed what he described as a normal touchdown. However, immediately after landing, the pilot reported that the left wing dropped and the airplane began skidding to the right across the runway, eventually striking a runway light.

Post-Event Actions

After the airplane came to a stop, the pilot obtained permission to taxi the aircraft to a tie-down spot. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane.

Damage Assessment

An FAA inspector noted that the airplane spun to the right during the incident, resulting in structural damage to the left wing and elevator.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedResponse/compensationPilot