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GAA15CA270

2015-09-21 · Jackpot, Nevada, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 06U

Current FAA registration · N3354W

Make / Model
PIPER PA-32-260
Year of manufacture
1965 · 50 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19651115
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3AB5B

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and a collision with a fence.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the landing roll a "dust devil hit the rear" of the airplane, "throwing it into the right lane and sliding the airplane sideways down the runway." The pilot reported that the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, over a dirt berm, and impacted a fence with the left wing. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A witness that was at the airport reported the wind was calm all day. The pilot reported that during the landing roll a "dust devil hit the rear" of the airplane, "throwing it into the right lane and sliding the airplane sideways down the runway." The pilot reported that the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, over a dirt berm, and impacted a fence with the left wing. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.   A witness that was at the airport reported the wind was calm all day. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2015_GAA15CA270.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