Event CEN22LA165

Factual narrative

On April 3, 2022, about 1755 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-235, N9119W, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Calhan, Colorado. The pilot and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that he had texted his girlfriend, who was waiting for him at the destination airport, to inquire about wind conditions. She sent him a photo of a rag in her hand that was not moving, so he assumed the wind was calm. Upon arrival at the airport, the reported wind was from 220° at 10 knots, gusting to 20 knots. As he approached runway 15, he chose to fly a faster approach speed to allow for a quicker go-around, if needed. He stated that as he touched down, a gust of wind pushed the airplane off the runway toward the hangar. Although he knew he impacted ground signs, he attempted a go-around, but was unable to avoid the hangar in front of him and impacted it with the left wing. The pilot later stated that he was unable to maintain control of the airplane during the landing and go-around attempt. Video surveillance of the accident showed the airplane cross the runway threshold and remain airborne until past the first taxiway and appeared to touchdown near the second taxiway before it bounced. It then exited the left side of the runway into a ditch, where the landing gear impacted a sign. The airplane then pitched up, consistent with an attempted go-around, and impacted a building. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the left wing was separated from the airplane, consistent with impact forces, and the aileron cable exhibited a broomstraw, or frayed, appearance consistent with an overload separation. The fuselage and right wing were impact damaged, which precluded movement of the remaining flight controls. The pilot reported that, upon arrival at the destination airport, the reported wind was from 220° at 10 knots gusting to 20 knots. He chose to fly a faster approach speed for landing on runway 15. He stated that, as the airplane touched down, a gust of wind pushed the airplane off the runway toward a hangar. Although he knew he impacted ground signs, he attempted a go-around, but was unable to avoid the hangar in front of him and impacted it with the left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that he was unable to maintain control of the airplane during the landing and attempted go-around. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation