ALBION, NY, USA
N60827
Aviat PITTS S-2B
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A LANDING ON THE RUNWAY, WHICH WAS 36 FEET WIDE, WITH SNOWBANKS ON EITHER SIDE. THE SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT SIDE APPEARED TO BE ON THE RUNWAY, SO THE PILOT FAVORED THE RIGHT SIDE DURING TOUCHDOWN. ON THE LANDING ROLL, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR IMPACTED SOFT TERRAIN AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL OF 5.6 HOURS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
On Sunday, March 20, 1994, at 1600 eastern standard time, a Pitts S-2B, N60827, piloted by Eric R. Rueckwald, sustained substantial damage during a landing at the Pine Hill Airport, Albion, New York. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot was landing on runway 28, which is 2675 feet long and 36 feet wide. The winds were from 290 degrees at 7 knots. In his report, the pilot stated: ...I saw the snow banks on either side of me. Since the snow bank on the left side looked like it was creeping up the runway, I chose to land a very small amount right of centerline. I stayed to the right of the centerline to avoid the snow bank on the left which was encroaching on the runway....I got sucked to the right, I felt the wheel get in the mud, I remember putting the rudder over directly on top of the right snow bank...The next thing I remember was being in the airplane upsidedown... The pilot reported that he had flown a total of 5.6 hours in this or any other airplane in the previous 90 days.
the pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll, and the subsequent collision with soft terrain and nose over. Factors related to the accident were: the snowbanks on either side of the runway, and the pilot's lack of recent flight experience.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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