The Piper PA-46 veered off the left side of the runway in Akron, Ohio, during landing with a left gusting crosswind.
The maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 17 knots.
The pilot said he applied right rudder and left aileron control inputs for the landing.
The left main landing gear touched down first and when the right main landing gear contacted the runway, a gust of wind lifted the left wing, resulting in a loss of directional control.
The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and into a grass area adjacent to the runway, where the nose landing gear collapsed.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall.
The pilot and passenger were uninjured.
Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
NTSB Identification: CEN15CA188
This February 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
There is no comment of how the Pilot handles the aircraft during a crosswind landing.
It often requires making a power-on landing with higher crosswinds to reduce the weather vane effect plus allowing more rudder authority for directional control.
It is possible to brake the aircraft even with full power if required in extreme winds.
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