On 31 Oct 2015, a PIPER PA 28-140 140 was involved in an aviation accident near Perry, NY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to maintain vigilance, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A student pilot lost directional control during landing roll after looking back at a noise, leading to overcorrections, brake application, and a runway excursion into a ditch. Substantial damage to left wing.
Accident Details
During the landing roll, a student pilot heard an object fall in the back seat. He looked back to investigate, and when he returned his gaze forward, the airplane had veered to the right. The student pilot attempted to correct the deviation using rudder input. However, he reported that he "overcorrected" to the left, then to the right, and subsequently "hammered" on the brakes. The airplane skidded off the runway to the right and impacted a ditch.
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Contributing factors
PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained