Piper PA 11S N5556H accident near Marlboro, Massachusetts

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing rollout in crosswinds, resulting in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with a snow bank.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, he was regaining his 90-day passenger-carrying privileges since his most recent flight was about 5 months prior to the accident. He had performed one landing successfully, and on the second landing, the airplane touched down on all three wheels and was decelerating. The airplane subsequently veered to the left, departed the left side of the runway, struck a snowbank, and came to rest resulting in substantial damage to the wing strut, firewall, and fuselage. The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that the wind was from the left at 5 to 10 knots and occasionally was gusting to 15 knots. He also reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14CA139 for the full record.