Primary finding
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during the landing roll. The crosswind and proximity of the taxiway sign were related factors.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
According to the pilot, the winds along the route were from 240 degrees at 20-30 knots, and '...all airports in the vicinity that had fuel, had a runway (paved) heading of 32/14.' Devils Lake, 42 nautical miles southwest of Langdon, was reporting winds from 230 at 11 knots at about the time of the accident. The pilot elected to land at Robertson Field on runway 32 to refuel. During the landing roll, the airplane skidded off the right side of the runway, striking a taxiway sign located 100 feet prior to the departure end of runway 32. According to a witness, the airplane landed long and fast, then skidded in a tight circle before coming to rest. The pilot added in his report that he 'could not hold plane on runway or stop quickly enough.'
Source record
Factual narrative
On July 31, 1997, at 1530 central daylight time (cdt), a Velocity Elite homebuilt, Canadian registration CGPNX, departed the right side of the runway during the landing roll on runway 32 (3,600' x 60') at the Robertson Airport, Langdon, North Dakota. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated from the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport, Saskatchewan, Canada, at 1215 cdt. In a written statement, the pilot said that he was about thirty minutes from his intended destination, Grand Forks, when he noticed the left fuel gauge indicating 'empty.' According to the pilot, the winds along the route were from 240 degrees at 20-30 knots, and "...all airports in the vicinity that had fuel had a runway [configuration] of 32/14." Devils Lake, 42 nautical miles southwest of Langdon, was reporting winds from 230 at 11 knots around the time of the accident. The pilot elected to land at Robertson Field on runway 32 to refuel. A witness to the accident told the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector that the airplane landed long and fast before skidding off the right side of the runway, striking a taxiway sign located 100 feet prior to the departure end of runway 32. The airplane then skidded in a tight circle before coming to rest. The pilot added in his report that he "could not hold plane on runway or stop quickly enough." The FAA Inspector who examined the aircraft found the right wing wrinkled with a split upper surface, resulting from the impact with the taxiway sign. The inspector also found the left main gear semi-retracted with the wheel broken off, resulting from the post-impact skid by the aircraft. -