Piper PA32 accident near Perry, Georgia, November 14, 2022
On November 14, 2022 at about 8:47 am local time, a 1980 Piper PA32, registered N81PW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Perry, Georgia (Perry-Houston County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during touchdown in a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2022 · about 8:47 am local time
- Place
- Perry, Georgia · Perry-Houston County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32 301, built 1980 · all PA32s on the register
- Registration
- N81PW · registry record · serial 32-8106002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he flew an instrument approach to a 4,999-ft-long, 100-ft-wide, asphalt runway. He flared at 78 kts and the airplane touched down on centerline. After touchdown, he applied brakes and the airplane veered left. He pressed harder on the right brake pedal, but the plane did not react, so he applied full right pedal but he did not observe any response. The airplane skidded off the left side of the runway and continued skidding through grass. It subsequently struck a small embankment at the edge of a cotton field, where it came to rest upright. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the right wing, nose landing gear, and firewall. His examination, which also included observing the airplane’s left main wheel was free to rotate and that the tire did not show any abnormal wear, did otherwise note evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The wind recorded at the airport, about the time of the accident, indicated a left crosswind to tailwind at 9 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 239 hours in all; 174 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 189 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 23, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 4, 2022; 152 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,615 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 3,900 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LRO Mount Pleasant SC at 7:10 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 4,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.29 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 am from KPXE
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPXE 141355Z AUTO 07009KT 10SM CLR 05/M01 A3029
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2023. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | ADS-B Plot (Courtesy of Airport Manager) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N81PW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.