Aircraft Possibly Landed Downwind In 22 Knot Gusts

An accident Saturday at Ponca City Regional Airport (KPNC) in Oklahoma resulted in a fatal injury to a student pilot who was a passenger in the aircraft, and serious injuries to the owner/pilot.

PA-28-140 File Photo

According to the initial FAA investigation, the PA-28-140 Cherokee (N8320R) was landing at about 1230 local time Saturday in windy conditions reported to be from 350 degrees at 12 gusting to 22 knots. The FAA report says that the aircraft "bounced and flipped over" on landing.

The blog Velozia Air reports that it appears the airplane may have been landing downwind from the north when the accident occurred. There were reportedly skid marks on the ground indicating that the airplane landed from the north more than half way down the runway. The blog also reports that the aircraft hit a fence after bouncing and turning inverted. The Cherokee's left wing also separated from the aircraft.

There has been no official word as to whether the pilot of the Cherokee was attempting to land on runway 17 at KPNC with a significant tail wind, which would greatly increase the landing distance for the airplane. The FAA and NTSB investigations are ongoing.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov