No fatalities

26 May 2010: PIPER PA-28R-200 — Pinnacle Aviation Academy — St. George, UT

St. George, UT, United States

On 26 May 2010, a PIPER PA-28R-200 operated by Pinnacle Aviation Academy was involved in an aviation accident near St. George, UT. 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 during landing. 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 scenic flight landing at St. George, the pilot encountered gusty winds and directional control challenges. After drifting left on approach and briefly lifting off after touchdown, the airplane veered into dirt and struck a hangar, sustaining substantial wing damage.

Incident Summary

A pilot and passenger were on a scenic flight to St. George. The pilot reported that winds were generally from the south to southwest, but each weather update showed varying direction and speed, with gusts present. On final approach, he applied left rudder and right aileron pressure to maintain runway centerline alignment. Just before touchdown, he eased off some right aileron pressure, causing the airplane to drift left of centerline.

Landing and Collision

Upon main gear contact, the pilot applied full right aileron. The airplane briefly became airborne again, and the nose turned left. The airplane then began to veer off the left side of the runway into adjacent dirt, heading toward a set of hangars. The pilot considered a go-around but judged he would not clear the hangars. He applied the brakes in an attempt to stop, but the airplane impacted the hangar.

Damage

The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the wing.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedResponse/compensation