SEA96LA151

Factual narrative

On July 10, 1996, approximately 1310 mountain daylight time, N5352P, a Piper PA-24-250, sustained substantial damage during landing at Smiley Creek airstrip, near Stanley, Idaho. The private pilot and his two passengers were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the occurrence. The flight had departed from Ogden, Utah, approximately 1130, and was to have been operated in accordance with 14 CFR 91. There was no report of the ELT actuating. The pilot encountered a crosswind while on landing approach to runway 14 of the 4900 foot turf airstrip. He stated that as he was flaring, it took substantial left rudder to counteract the crosswind. Upon touchdown the airplane went left. He applied right rudder and the airplane "continued to skid left on the (turf) runway. I applied the hand brake (it had no toe brakes, hence no differential steering) and kept the aircraft as straight as possible, so [as] not to cartwheel. I never did get traction, continued to veer left, hit the ditch, and then stopped in the barbed wire fence." The pilot added that the wind seemed to be consistent in both direction and velocity on final, however when he was flaring he felt it both gusted and swirled. He stated that there was no chance to abort the landing at that time. The left main landing gear collapsed, nose gear separated, and the right main strut penetrated the right wing. While on an approach to land at a mountain airstrip, the pilot encountered crosswinds. He stated that substantial left rudder was required to counteract a crosswind during the flare. After touchdown, the aircraft went to the left. The pilot attempted to recover with right rudder, but the airplane continued to skid left on the turf runway. Since the airplane did not have toe brakes installed, the pilot was unable to use differential braking. The airplane continued to the left, hit a ditch and stopped, collapsing the landing gear and causing substantial damage. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12