On 12 May 2015, a PIPER PA 28-180 180 operated by DEWITZ CHASE was involved in an aviation accident near Steele, ND. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a collision with objects while attempting to abort the landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A student pilot aborted a landing on an unpublished wet grass airstrip after sliding sideways; during the subsequent departure climb, the left wheel struck a fence, resulting in loss of control and impact with a storage structure.
Event Details
The student pilot reported that after landing on his unpublished airstrip, the airplane failed to slow down on the wet grass surface. During the landing roll, the aircraft slid sideways, prompting the pilot to abort the landing and initiate a departure climb. As the airplane climbed, the left wheel struck a fence, causing a loss of control. The airplane subsequently impacted a storage structure.
Damage
The accident resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the horizontal stabilizer of the aircraft. The extent of damage to the storage structure was not detailed in the pilot's report.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation of the aircraft. The accident occurred during daylight hours on a private airstrip not published for public use.
Contributing factors
Causes
PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained