No fatalities

18 May 2017: PIPER PA 34 220T — AUTO MILESTONES LLC — Tunkhannock, PA

Tunkhannock, PA, United States

On 18 May 2017, a PIPER PA 34 220T operated by AUTO MILESTONES LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Tunkhannock, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during landing in crosswind conditions, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. 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 landing, the airplane suddenly lost lift without stall warning, forcing it onto the runway. The nose gear collapsed and the airplane veered right, causing substantial damage to the left wing.

Accident Overview

The accident occurred during the landing phase. The pilot reported that while in ground effect, the airplane suddenly lost lift without an aural stall warning, forcing the aircraft onto the runway. This event led to a collapse of the nose gear and a subsequent veer off the runway to the right.

Pilot Report

According to the pilot, there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation. The loss of lift occurred unexpectedly, and the airplane was "forced" onto the runway.

Weather Information

The automated weather observation system, located approximately 15 miles from the accident site, reported the wind from 230° at 10 knots about 6 minutes before the accident. The pilot was landing on runway 19.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. No other damage or injuries are mentioned in the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotAngle of attack — Not attained/maintainedAirspeed — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation