Event ANC25LA070

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, while landing in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, the airplane’s upwind tire touched the runway, and a gust of wind lifted the wing; the pilot attempted to correct with opposite aileron. Subsequently, the airplane turned to the right and the left wing contacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported selecting runway 22 for landing. He reported the winds to be from 120° at 11 kts, gusting 18 kts. On previous flights, the pilot would land on the gravel area adjacent to the asphalt runway during crosswind conditions; however, prior to the accident flight, he was advised that landing on this area was no longer authorized. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot