NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MIA97LA145
Registry · N1321H
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-32R-300
Seats / Engines
7 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19770111
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A08522
Registrant of record
KRONICK BRAD S
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
flight by the pilot into known adverse weather conditions, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control during the landing flare, and collision with the terrain. The adverse weather with nearby thunderstorm activity, crosswind, and gusts was a related factor.
Factual narrative
On April 22, 1997, about 2050 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-300, N1321H, registered to Royal Sons Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight crashed on landing at Bush Field, Augusta, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot, and three passengers reported no injuries. The flight originated from St. Petersburg, Florida, about 2 hours 10 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated upon arrival in the Augusta area, that he observed thunderstorm activity in the vicinity. He was cleared to land on runway 35. While on final approach the tower operator advised him of the thunderstorms and gusty wind conditions. He elected to continue with the VFR approach and landing. He started his landing flare/touchdown at about 10 to 15 feet, and encountered a strong gusty wind. The airplane turned to the right 90 degrees. He lost directional control, the airplane landed hard on the main gear perpendicular to the runway, skidded off the runway, and collapsed all landing gear. Review of radio communications between N1321H and Augusta Air Traffic Control, local control (LC) revealed at 2047:32 N1321H was advised of windshear Advisories at the airport which was acknowledged by the pilot at 2047:39. The pilot was advised at 2048:44 by LC that the wind was 260 degrees at 56 knots. Review of weather information obtained from Bush Field, Augusta, Georgia, for the time of the accident, revealed no recorded record of turbulence, or downdrafts, and the winds were 280-degrees, at 26 knots, gusting to 48 knots. The pilot was landing with known gusty crosswinds and windshear at his destination airport. While on final approach, the tower controller advised him of thunderstorm activity and gusty wind conditions, and that the wind was 260 degrees at 56 knots. The pilot started his flare at about 10 to 15 feet, and encountered a strong gusty wind. The airplane turned to the right. The pilot lost directional control, the airplane landed hard. The airplane then skidded off the runway, and all landing gear collapsed. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1997_MIA97LA145.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (turbulence, thunderstorm). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Contractor Report (CR)
An Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm
The focal point of the study reported here was the definition and examination of turbulence, wind shear and thunderstorm in relation to aviation accidents.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Observations of severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops
Data derived from the flight tapes of two airliners that experienced severe turbulence near thunderstorm tops are used to produce quantitative descriptions of the turbulence and its environment.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Conference Proceedings
Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storm…
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Severe Turbulence and Maneuvering from Airline Flight Records
Digital flight records from reported clear-air turbulence incidents are used to determine winds and turbulence, to determine maneuver g loads, and to analyze control problems.
- arXiv 2026 · arXiv preprint
Direct Numerical Simulations of Ice-Ocean Boundary Turbulence
Turbulent heat and freshwater transport at ice-ocean interfaces controls glacier and iceberg melt rates, yet the underlying physics remains poorly constrained.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2025 · Journal article (JAAER)
Political Turbulence and Aviation Safety: A Cross-National Analysis of Political Stability's Effects on Aviation Accidents
To what extent does political stability affect aviation safety? This research aims to link domestic political conditions and public safety through the consideration of aviation accident frequency.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗