NTSB ANC20CA040 — 2020-03-27 · Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Current FAA registration · N1409X

Make / Model: PIPER PA-32-300
Year of manufacture: 1975 · 45 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING TI0-540 SER (310 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19750530
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A0A659

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N1409X Piper PA32 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadequate compensation for gusting crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control, a runway excursion, and impact with a snowbank.

Factual narrative

The pilot was attempting to land in strong gusting crosswind conditions. After touchdown the airplane veered sharply to the left, exited the runway and impacted a snowbank sustaining substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had received more instruction in crosswind conditions. The pilot was attempting to land in strong gusting, crosswind conditions. After touchdown, the airplane veered sharply left, exited the runway, and impacted a snowbank, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mount. The pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had received more instruction in crosswind conditions. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Response/compensation - C
C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Snow/ice-Effect on operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ANC20CA040.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers