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ERA10CA440

2010-08-23 · Hartford, Connecticut, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HFD

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswind, resulting in a loss of directional control during landing.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, during landing on runway 2, the airplane encountered a gust of wind from the right. The pilot applied full right rudder; however, the airplane continued to the left. He then attempted to move his feet to the brakes, during which he inadvertently applied excessive left brake pressure. The airplane traveled off the left side of the runway and struck a sign, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The winds recorded at the airport at the time of the accident were from 020 degrees at 16 gusting to 23 knots. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He also reported he had been flying for about 4 hours when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that, during landing on runway 02, the airplane encountered a gust of wind. The pilot applied full right rudder in an attempt to counteract the drift, but the airplane continued to veer to the left. The pilot then inadvertently applied excessive left brake pressure and the airplane traveled off the left side of the runway and struck a sign, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The wind recorded at the airport at the time of the accident was from 020 degrees at 16 knots, gusting to 23 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Incorrect action performance-Pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Sign/marker-Not specified

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_ERA10CA440.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.