Skip to content

CEN12CA503

2012-07-29 · Keokuk, Iowa, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KEOK

Current FAA registration · N6834K

Make / Model
PIPER PA-16
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19560628
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A9114A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing roll in a variable crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion.

Factual narrative

The pilot and two passengers departed on a cross-country flight. As they approached their destination airport, the pilot monitored the airport’s automated weather reporting station. The pilot stated the airport’s wind condition changed from 160 degrees at 7 knots, to 200 degrees at 9 knots, and then to 180 degrees at 8 knots, as they got closer to the airport. The pilot added that he made his initial approach to runway 26, but upon circling the airport, the windsock favored runway 8. During the landing roll, the airplane’s right wing lifted. The pilot stated he was unable to lower the wing, the airplane veered right, and continued off the side of runway 8. The airplane came rest in the grass, with substantial damage to the fuselage, just forward of the empennage. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. As the airplane approached the destination airport, the pilot monitored the airport’s automated weather reporting station. The pilot stated that the airport’s reported wind changed from 160 degrees at 7 knots, to 200 degrees at 9 knots, and then to 180 degrees at 8 knots as they got closer to the airport. The pilot added that he initially planned to land on runway 26, but, upon circling the airport, he noted that the windsock favored runway 8. During the landing roll on runway 8, the airplane’s right wing lifted. The pilot stated that he was unable to lower the wing, and the airplane veered right and continued off the side of the runway. The airplane came rest in the grass with substantial damage to the fuselage just forward of the empennage. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Variable wind-Response/compensation
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2012_CEN12CA503.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers