What happened
On July 18, 2021, a privately owned Piper PA28RT-201T, registration JA201M, was performing a round flight between Matsumoto Airport and Niigata Airport. The flight, operated by a single pilot and two passengers, proceeded normally until the aircraft landed on runway 28 at Niigata Airport at approximately 11:26 JST. The touchdown was reported as smooth, with no initial abnormalities noted during the landing roll.
As the aircraft decelerated using engine idle thrust, the pilot applied left rudder to navigate toward taxiway B2. During this maneuver, the pilot noticed a sluggish response in the aircraft's steering. Suspecting a puncture in the right main landing gear tire, the pilot made a deliberate decision to steer the aircraft toward the grassy area on the north side of the runway. The pilot's intent was to prevent potential damage to the wheel assembly and to avoid a runway closure that might disrupt scheduled flights.
After decelerating to roughly 5 knots, the aircraft exited the runway at an angle and came to a halt approximately 41 meters from the centerline. The aircraft was unable to continue taxiing, and the engine was shut down. There were no injuries to the three occupants, though the right main landing gear tire suffered air leakage.
The investigation
The JTSB investigation focused on the mechanical state of the aircraft and the pilot's decision-making process. Investigators examined the right main landing gear and found that air had leaked from a 2 mm crack in the tire tube. The tire and tube had been in service for approximately three years and had completed 216 landings. A runway inspection revealed no foreign objects that could have caused such damage.
Analysis of the aircraft's steering confirmed that the steering system was functioning normally during the landing roll. The investigation also determined that the aircraft's position—within the designated runway strip—was the reason the runway remained closed for several hours, ultimately resulting in the cancellation of 18 scheduled flights.