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CEN14CA496

2014-09-11 · Oxford, Wisconsin, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport RAC

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot did not compensate for the decrease in the crosswind when he descended below the tree line during the landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported he was landing on runway 36 when the accident occurred. He listened to the automated weather reporting station from an airport 13 miles away and the wind was reported as being from 350 degrees at 5 knots. He stated he established a crab angle to compensate for the wind while on final approach. Upon reaching an altitude of 50 feet above the ground, he noticed a decrease in the crosswind and an increased sink rate. The airplane traveled to the left side of the airstrip where it contacted high brush. The airplane yawed further to the left where it contacted trees resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported he was landing on runway 36 when the accident occurred. He listened to the automated weather reporting station from an airport 13 miles away and the wind was reported as being from 350 degrees at 5 knots. He stated he established a crab angle to compensate for the wind while on final approach. Upon reaching an altitude of 50 feet above the ground, he noticed a decrease in the crosswind and an increased sink rate. The airplane traveled to the left side of the airstrip where it contacted high brush. The airplane yawed further to the left where it contacted trees resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. 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
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome
  • C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_CEN14CA496.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.