NTSB CEN25LA222 — 2025-06-26 · Sweetwater, Texas, United States

Current FAA registration · N2300A

Make / Model: PIPER PA-22-135
Year of manufacture: 1952 · 73 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-290 SERIES (140 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19560924
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A20AD9

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N2300A Piper PA-22-135 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing with a crosswind.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that after landing in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, a gusty crosswind lifted the tail of the airplane, and he lost directional control. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane; however, when the tail wheel contacted the runway again, the airplane swerved to the right and exited the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted terrain which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot landed on runway 22 with wind variable between 150° and 200°at 9 kts. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— 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 equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_CEN25LA222.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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