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GAA18CA580

2018-09-30 · Van Nuys, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport VNY

Current FAA registration · N400JW

Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-180
Year of manufacture
1974 · 44 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19950706
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4AD7E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the landing flare on runway 16L, he felt a gust of wind from the right. To counter the gust he applied, "left rudder" and right aileron to lower the right wing. When the nose landing gear touched down on the runway, the airplane veered to the left and he applied, "minimal right steering and braking" to avoid overcorrecting and colliding with an airplane that was landing on runway 16 right. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and struck a taxiway sign before it came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The meteorological aerodrome report for the airport that the pilot landed, reported that about the time of the accident. The wind was calm. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, during the landing flare on runway 16L, he felt a wind gust from the right. To counter the gust, he applied left rudder and right aileron to lower the right wing. When the nose landing gear touched down on the runway, the airplane veered left, and he applied "minimal right steering and braking" to avoid overcorrecting and colliding with an airplane that was landing on runway 16R. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway and struck a taxiway sign before it came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The airport's METAR reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. 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
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Sign/marker-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2018_GAA18CA580.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.