As the pilot approached the airport in Fort Myers, Florida, he noted that the tower air traffic controller was very busy due to the high traffic load. Additionally, the runway most favorable for the prevailing wind was closed due to a disabled aircraft.
The tower controller subsequently cleared the pilot to land on a runway where a nearly direct left crosswind at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots, prevailed. The pilot told investigators that upon landing, a gust of wind “pushed” the Cessna T240 off the runway and it hit a taxiway sign.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing during the accident.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the prevailing wind conditions while landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a sign.
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This October 2024 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.
That amount of wind is well within the flight envelope in the operating limits.
Bad approach, bad decisions, should have performed a go around and communicated with the tower and tried it again.
At all airports, all, large, small, busy or not.
There is at least one runway or more and as a P.IC. it’s your responsibility to just fly the airplane.
Communicate, aviat, one runway, one airplane, and one pilot.
I always cringe when I see a comment referring to chronological age and performance. I’m 69 now, feel 25, am acutely aware of changes associated with aging, but refuse to accept that common refrain about age being a giant part of these accidents. I’d wager that the vast majority of accidents are related to inexperience, immaturity, or cockiness.
Lots of comments about this, not sure if anyone actually looked at the NTSB Report. The pilot had 872 hours Total Time and 627 in Make and Model. So not new to the airplane and certainly had some experience with the Make and Model.
The part that stands out is he has been around a while probably as he is 69 years old. He also has a 3rd Class medical with waiver and limitations. We don’t know what the pilots true health is on that day of the incident. At age 69 and with some special medical work he could be either very capable to fly the plane or possible age is slowing him down a bit too much. If it is the later, I hope just like with autos, someone close to him will decide to take the keys away at least as PIC.
Another case of a pilots wallet outperforming a pilot’s skill.
Unfortunately, the landing gear is attached to the wing spar and that could be game over. Why, didn’t he perform a go around?
I could probably still land in 10G15, and I haven’t flown in several years.
No doubt. Our only runway faces north south and almost always has a crosswind. 10G15 is a normal day. Yikes.
Biggest problem these days with training is to few pilots know how to land properly in a crosswind.
There’s one comment in the interview with the safety investigator that’s telling. The investigator asked if he relaxed aileron and rudder input after touchdown. The pilot said “I did”. Ouch. As they say, fly it to the hangar.
That’s a lot of plane for a pilot that can’t control it in a meager 10G15 cross wind. Of course, I bet he or she checked every box in a 141 flight school program. It’s what is being turned out every day.
Another one of those communist “gusts of wind”! They’re always out to get you! And they cost a lot of money!
Stevie Wonder could land a plane in 10 gusting 15 conditions…..