No fatalities

Airplane Veers Off Runway During Crosswind Landing, Strikes Sign

Wichita, KS, United States

On January 24, 2017, a PIPER PA 28R 200 was involved in an aviation accident near Wichita, KS. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During a gusting crosswind landing, the airplane veered left off the runway into grass and struck an airport sign, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions.

Accident Details

The pilot reported that during the landing roll in a gusting crosswind, the airplane veered off the runway to the left into the grass. During the runway excursion, the right wing impacted an airport sign, which resulted in substantial damage. After the airplane had stopped, the pilot taxied to the ramp without further incident. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 2 minutes before the accident, the wind was 310° at 22 knots, with wind gusts at 27 knots. The airplane landed on runway 1R.

Aircraft Information

According to the pilot operating handbook for the accident airplane, the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane is 20 miles per hour, which is equivalent to 17.3 knots.

Contributing factors

Causes

Capability exceededDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on equipmentAbility to respond/compensate