A PA30 pilot lost directional control during landing resulting going off the side of the runway and ...

Attributes
ACN	548945
Time
Date	200205
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-30 Twin Comanche
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 38 flight time total : 578 flight time type : 364
ASRS Report	548945
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway ground encounters other inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft was cleared to land runway 4L, following visual approach 4L. ATIS reported winds 130 degrees at 11 KTS. Tower advised report of 30 KT windshear. Following touchdown slightly left of centerline, aircraft veered sharply to left side of runway. Full right aileron and right rudder/steering were ineffective. Aircraft departed left (west) side of runway just south of taxiway Q, then crossed paved island to taxiway T, where control was regained. Path crossed taxiway lights, one of which impacted lower rear surface of right flap. No damage to taxiway light observed. Minor damage to flap was discovered following day. No damage report required to be filed. Factors contributing to loss of control were pilot's failure to initiate touchdown on right/upwind side of runway, use of full flaps, and use of full back yoke to establish aerodynamic braking. PA-30's are well known for their tendency to float during landing, due to low wing profile. Instruction emphasizes yoke back pressure after main touchdown, to provide enhanced positive aerodynamic braking action. In this situation, the resulting nose-high attitude immediately following main's touchdown eliminated nosewheel steering effect, at the same time that rudder aerodynamic effect became ineffective. While pilot had training and experience with 'moderate' cross-wind lndgs (ie, up to 15-20 KTS with a headwind angle of perhaps 30 degrees off the nose), pilot had not experienced a nominal 11 KT crosswind at 90 degrees (windshear report suggests that crosswind gust at higher than 11 KTS may have occurred). Landing should have been made with no flaps (rather than full flaps) at a higher speed. Touchdown should have been made substantially to the right of centerline, given the available 150 ft width of runway 4L. Training emphasis for 'normal' lndgs (centerline, full flaps) overrode appropriate adjustments for crosswind landing. Pilot will undertake additional dual training in adverse crosswind conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA30 PLT LOST DIRECTIONAL CTL DURING LNDG RESULTING GOING OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY AND DAMAGE TO THE WING FLAP WHEN RUNNING OVER A TXWY LIGHT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 4L, FOLLOWING VISUAL APCH 4L. ATIS RPTED WINDS 130 DEGS AT 11 KTS. TWR ADVISED RPT OF 30 KT WINDSHEAR. FOLLOWING TOUCHDOWN SLIGHTLY L OF CENTERLINE, ACFT VEERED SHARPLY TO L SIDE OF RWY. FULL R AILERON AND R RUDDER/STEERING WERE INEFFECTIVE. ACFT DEPARTED L (W) SIDE OF RWY JUST S OF TXWY Q, THEN CROSSED PAVED ISLAND TO TXWY T, WHERE CTL WAS REGAINED. PATH CROSSED TXWY LIGHTS, ONE OF WHICH IMPACTED LOWER REAR SURFACE OF R FLAP. NO DAMAGE TO TXWY LIGHT OBSERVED. MINOR DAMAGE TO FLAP WAS DISCOVERED FOLLOWING DAY. NO DAMAGE RPT REQUIRED TO BE FILED. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO LOSS OF CTL WERE PLT'S FAILURE TO INITIATE TOUCHDOWN ON R/UPWIND SIDE OF RWY, USE OF FULL FLAPS, AND USE OF FULL BACK YOKE TO ESTABLISH AERODYNAMIC BRAKING. PA-30'S ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR TENDENCY TO FLOAT DURING LNDG, DUE TO LOW WING PROFILE. INSTRUCTION EMPHASIZES YOKE BACK PRESSURE AFTER MAIN TOUCHDOWN, TO PROVIDE ENHANCED POSITIVE AERODYNAMIC BRAKING ACTION. IN THIS SIT, THE RESULTING NOSE-HIGH ATTITUDE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING MAIN'S TOUCHDOWN ELIMINATED NOSEWHEEL STEERING EFFECT, AT THE SAME TIME THAT RUDDER AERODYNAMIC EFFECT BECAME INEFFECTIVE. WHILE PLT HAD TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE WITH 'MODERATE' CROSS-WIND LNDGS (IE, UP TO 15-20 KTS WITH A HEADWIND ANGLE OF PERHAPS 30 DEGS OFF THE NOSE), PLT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A NOMINAL 11 KT XWIND AT 90 DEGS (WINDSHEAR RPT SUGGESTS THAT XWIND GUST AT HIGHER THAN 11 KTS MAY HAVE OCCURRED). LNDG SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE WITH NO FLAPS (RATHER THAN FULL FLAPS) AT A HIGHER SPD. TOUCHDOWN SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE R OF CENTERLINE, GIVEN THE AVAILABLE 150 FT WIDTH OF RWY 4L. TRAINING EMPHASIS FOR 'NORMAL' LNDGS (CENTERLINE, FULL FLAPS) OVERRODE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS FOR XWIND LNDG. PLT WILL UNDERTAKE ADDITIONAL DUAL TRAINING IN ADVERSE XWIND CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A PA30 pilot lost directional control during landing resulting going off the side of the runway and damage to the wing flap when running over a taxiway light.