2 Sep 2019: Piper PA32RT 300 — West Michigan Flying Club — Mackinac Island, MI

No fatalitiesMackinac Island, MI, United States

A Piper PA32RT veered off the runway and sustained substantial damage after encountering a sudden crosswind during landing.

What happened

On September 2, 2019, a Piper PA32RT, registration N31934, was landing on runway 26 at Mackinac Island, Michigan. During the landing phase, the aircraft encountered a sudden crosswind that caused it to drift to the left. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced and continued to veer left, eventually exiting the runway. The aircraft struck a runway light and traveled through a ditch, which resulted in the collapse of the main landing gear. There were no injuries resulting from the accident.

The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the right wing and the fuselage. At the time of the accident, automated weather observations indicated a wind from 360 degrees at 11 knots, with a visibility of 10 statute miles under visual meteorological conditions.

Probable cause

The pilot failed to maintain directional control during the landing due to a crosswind, leading to a runway excursion and collision with a runway light.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operation