ATL94LA008

Factual narrative

On October 23, 1993, about 1415 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N9778C, collided with a hangar during landing at the Lexington Municipal Airport, Lexington, North Carolina. The airplane was operated by Southeast Airmotive Corp., under 14 CFR Part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the solo, cross-country, instructional flight. The student pilot had minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was Charlotte, North Carolina, with an intervening landing at Sanford, North Carolina. The flight departed Sanford at 1330. The pilot provided the following information: during the landing approach to runway 8 at Lexington, the wind sock was "not fluttering." Just before touchdown the wind was calm. During the landing roll a gust of wind from the right lifted the airplane and blew it to the left. The nose wheel rolled up an incline beside the runway, pitched the nose up, and the airplane bounced into the air. Afterwards, he said, the airplane could not be controlled. The pilot said he had received crosswind landing instruction which consisted of using rudder and aileron to counter the wind and allow it to blow the airplane back to the runway centerline. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE LANDED ON RUNWAY 8, AND THAT AFTER A FEW FEET OF LANDING ROLL, A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE AIRPLANE AND PUSHED IT OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT. HOWEVER, THE PILOT REPORTED THE WIND WAS FROM 060 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN AT THE LEFT EDGE OF THE RUNWAY. IT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, HIT A BERM, AND BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A HANGAR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12