NTSB CHI93LA007 — 1992-10-08 · WICHITA, Kansas, United States

Current FAA registration · N67433

Make / Model: HOWARD AIRCRAFT DGA-15P
Year of manufacture: 1942 · 50 years old at event
Engine: P&W R-985 SERIES (450 hp)
Seats / Engines: 5 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19551201
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A8ED71

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N67433 Howard Aircraft Corp. DGA-15P None

Probable cause & findings

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PILOT, THE PILOT'S OVER CONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY, AND AIRPLANE PERFORMANCE DATA NOT FOLLOWED BY THE PILOT.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT OF THE CLASSIC TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE WAS PERFORMING A CROSSWIND LANDING. THE WINDS THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED WERE APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 80 DEGREES TO THE LEFT OF THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE AND 23 TO 35 KNOTS IN VELOCITY. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A TURN TO THE LEFT UPON LANDING WHICH COULD NOT BE STOPPED WITH RUDDER AND BRAKE. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD PERFORMED MANY SUCCESSFUL CROSSWIND LANDINGS BEFORE, UNDER CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH HE HAD ENCOUNTERED ON THE ACCIDENT DATE. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME SHORTLY AFTER IT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT. THE LEFT WING SHATTERED, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, WHEN IT CONTACTED THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE'S PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK, THE MAXIMUM 90 DEGREE CROSSWIND COMPONENT IS 12 MILES PER HOUR. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_CHI93LA007.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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