Crash location | 27.952222°N, 81.600833°W |
Nearest city | Lake Wales, FL
27.901413°N, 81.585910°W 3.6 miles away |
Tail number | N57WV |
---|---|
Accident date | 23 Apr 2011 |
Aircraft type | Piper PA-28-180 |
Additional details: | None |
The pilot stated that during the landing roll, a gust of wind impacted the airplane, which turned to the left and departed the left side of the 50-feet-wide, turf runway. After the pilot regained control, he attempted to avoid a ditch by imputing right rudder. The left main landing gear impacted the ditch resulting in substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.