No fatalities

7 Dec 2014: PIPER PA 18-150 A150 — BUTLER JOHN P — Minocqua, WI

Minocqua, WI, United States

On 7 Dec 2014, a PIPER PA 18-150 A150 operated by BUTLER JOHN P was involved in an aviation accident near Minocqua, WI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot did not maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing flare when a sudden wind shift occurred. 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 landing attempt on runway 18 in gusty crosswind conditions, the pilot initiated a go-around after the aircraft drifted right. Applying power, the right wing dropped, causing the ski-equipped right main gear to collapse on side impact, leading to substantial damage.

Incident Details

The pilot was attempting to land on runway 18 with the wind reported as 170 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The aircraft was equipped with wheel-penetration skis, prompting the pilot to opt for a three-point landing rather than a wheel landing. During the flare, snow began blowing directly across the runway just ahead of the airplane. The aircraft subsequently drifted to the right. Despite corrective rudder and aileron inputs, the drift continued. The pilot decided to abort the landing and initiate a go-around.

As the pilot applied power to climb out of the gusting crosswind, the right wing dropped. The ski-equipped right main gear collapsed upon impacting the snow with a side load. The right wing tip then contacted the snow, and the aircraft cartwheeled on its right wing tip, nose, left wing tip, and finally balanced on its nose. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft during the flight.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the wing spar and firewall.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome