PA28 pilot encounters wind gusts and a crosswind during the landing flare at mvc. Aircraft control i...

Attributes
ACN	697041
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mvc.airport
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence Windshear
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 23 flight time total : 900
ASRS Report	697041
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	697042
Events
Anomaly	excursion : runway ground encounters other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Airport Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On final approach to runway 21 at mvc; al; the aircraft experienced a downward gust of wind causing a faster than usual descent. Power was immediately applied to arrest the rate of descent. Simultaneously a crosswind component acted upon the right side of the aircraft and right wing. The torque effect caused by the increase in power combined with the crosswind component resulted in the aircraft heading turning 30-45 degrees left of runway heading. The aircraft was in a flaring attitude making the flight controls sluggish and ineffective to correct the aircraft heading. The aircraft left the runway and rolled through a shallow ditch and exited the other side. Just prior to coming to a complete stop the left wing struck a telephone junction box causing damage to the left root fairing. After conducting a damage assessment; the decision was made to conduct a one time flight to return the aircraft to its home airfield. The aircraft returned without further incident. Supplemental information from acn 697042: the pilot I was flying with holds an airframe and power plant general repairman's certificate and together we determined that the airframe was airworthy and flew it back without incident. Looking back I don't think it was such a good idea to fly the airplane home. There could have been damage to the engine mount; main spars and other areas that a visual inspection could not detect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT ENCOUNTERS WIND GUSTS AND A XWIND DURING THE LNDG FLARE AT MVC. ACFT CTL IS LOST AND THE ACFT DEPARTS THE RWY AND HITS A TELEPHONE JUNCTION BOX; DAMAGING THE WING.

Narrative: ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 21 AT MVC; AL; THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A DOWNWARD GUST OF WIND CAUSING A FASTER THAN USUAL DSCNT. PWR WAS IMMEDIATELY APPLIED TO ARREST THE RATE OF DSCNT. SIMULTANEOUSLY A XWIND COMPONENT ACTED UPON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND R WING. THE TORQUE EFFECT CAUSED BY THE INCREASE IN PWR COMBINED WITH THE XWIND COMPONENT RESULTED IN THE ACFT HDG TURNING 30-45 DEGS L OF RWY HDG. THE ACFT WAS IN A FLARING ATTITUDE MAKING THE FLT CTLS SLUGGISH AND INEFFECTIVE TO CORRECT THE ACFT HDG. THE ACFT LEFT THE RWY AND ROLLED THROUGH A SHALLOW DITCH AND EXITED THE OTHER SIDE. JUST PRIOR TO COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP THE L WING STRUCK A TELEPHONE JUNCTION BOX CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE L ROOT FAIRING. AFTER CONDUCTING A DAMAGE ASSESSMENT; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONDUCT A ONE TIME FLT TO RETURN THE ACFT TO ITS HOME AIRFIELD. THE ACFT RETURNED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 697042: THE PLT I WAS FLYING WITH HOLDS AN AIRFRAME AND PWR PLANT GENERAL REPAIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE AND TOGETHER WE DETERMINED THAT THE AIRFRAME WAS AIRWORTHY AND FLEW IT BACK WITHOUT INCIDENT. LOOKING BACK I DON'T THINK IT WAS SUCH A GOOD IDEA TO FLY THE AIRPLANE HOME. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGE TO THE ENG MOUNT; MAIN SPARS AND OTHER AREAS THAT A VISUAL INSPECTION COULD NOT DETECT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

PA28 pilot encounters wind gusts and a crosswind during the landing flare at mvc. Aircraft control is lost and the aircraft departs the runway and hits a telephone junction box; damaging the wing.