No fatalities

31 Aug 2018: Piper PA28 181 — Plus One Flyers Club — Porterville, CA

Porterville, CA, United States

On 31 Aug 2018, a Piper PA28 181 operated by Plus One Flyers Club was involved in an aviation accident near Porterville, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain 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.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During the landing roll, the airplane veered right, exited the runway, and collided with taxiway lights, resulting in substantial damage. The pilot reported no wind at the time, but dust devils were observed afterward.

Accident Sequence

The pilot initiated the landing flare, and the airplane floated for about 100 feet before touching down normally. Approximately 400 feet into the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right, exited the right side of the runway, and collided with taxiway lights before coming to rest.

Wind Conditions

During the landing, the windsock indicated no wind. However, after the accident, the pilot and her passenger witnessed dust devils close to the runway. The airport's METAR reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was variable at 6 knots. The airplane landed on runway 30.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage intermediate bulkhead.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operationContributed to outcome