Piper PA38
Cumberland, MD — June 7, 2020
Event Information
| Date | June 7, 2020 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | ERA20CA209 |
| Event ID | 20200608X82100 |
| Location | Cumberland, MD |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 39.61389, -78.75694 |
| Airport | Greater Cumberland Rgnl |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Piper |
| Model | PA38 |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Probable Cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing and the subsequent go-around in gusting crosswind conditions.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that after a stabilized approach to land, during the touchdown a gust of wind caused the left wing to raise and go "vertical" or "knife edge." He immediately applied full power to go-around, however, the airplane was banking and drifting to the right and before the airplane could climb, it impacted terrain to the right of the runway and skidded down a ravine. The left and right wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane.About the time of the accident the weather observation at the airport included wind from a heading of 320° at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The calculated crosswind component for the landing on runway 5 was 14 knots.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.