Occurrence Summary
On 1 October 2019 at approximately 3:30 PM, a Piper PA-32-300 aircraft, United States registration N38677, was involved in an incident at Pitts Town Airport (MYCP), Crooked Island, Bahamas. The aircraft had departed Deadman’s Cay Airport (MYLD), Long Island, Bahamas, with five persons on board: one pilot and four passengers.
Sequence of Events
During the approach to landing on runway 09 at MYCP, the pilot reported encountering adverse winds. As a result of these strong winds, the aircraft made contact with a sand bank located at the beginning of the runway. The aircraft subsequently impacted the runway in a hard landing, causing the left main landing gear to collapse. The aircraft then veered off the runway, resulting in a runway excursion.
Aircraft and Damage
The aircraft involved was a 1977 Piper PA-32-300, serial number 32-7840024, powered by a single Lycoming IO-540 series engine. The pilot held a Private Pilot license. The occurrence was classified as an incident (runway excursion) by the Bahamas Air Accident Investigation Department (AAID). The aircraft sustained damage to the left wing and flap, undercarriage, and the left main gear detached.
Weather and Contributing Factors
Weather conditions at the time were reported as visual meteorological conditions. However, the investigation determined that the adverse windy condition was a contributing factor in the incident. A limited-scope investigation was conducted, and no safety messages or recommendations were issued.