Piper PA-24-250 N5153P accident near Columbia, South Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the crosswind landing.

NTSB analysis

At the conclusion of the return flight, the pilot was landing at his home airport where a significant right crosswind prevailed for the landing runway. The pilot described that, during the final approach for landing, he maintained a right-wing-down attitude and was crabbing the airplane into the wind. As the airplane neared touchdown, the pilot applied left rudder to straighten the airplane’s path; when the right main wheel touched down, the airplane “weather vaned” to the right and into the wind. The airplane’s nose wheel touched down, and the airplane “swerved hard to the left.” His subsequent attempts to correct the airplane’s path were unsuccessful. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, continued down an embankment, struck a berm, and came to rest, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA23LA052 for the full record.