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ERA12CA390

2012-06-09 · Alabaster, Alabama, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport EET

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusting wind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he flew a traffic pattern for landing on runway 16, a 5,000-foot-long, 75-foot-wide, asphalt runway. As the airplane was about to touch down, a gust of wind pushed it toward the right side of the runway. The pilot added power and attempted to correct; however, the airplane drifted off the right side of the runway and impacted a tree. Two witnesses observed the airplane in a nose-high attitude over the runway as it drifted right into trees. One of the witnesses estimated the wind from 110 degrees at 9 knots and increasing. The recorded wind at the airport, about 30 minutes after the accident, was from 140 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 24 knots. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions and substantial damaged was observed on the right wing. The pilot reported that the airplane was about to touch down on runway 16, when a gust of wind pushed the airplane toward trees along the right side of the runway. The pilot added power and tried, unsuccessfully, to avoid the trees. Two witnesses observed the airplane in a nose-high attitude over the runway as it drifted right into trees. One of the witnesses said that about 30 minutes before the accident the wind was from 110 degrees at 9 knots and was increasing in velocity. The recorded wind at the airport, about 30 minutes after the accident, was from 140 degrees at 14 knots, gusting to 24 knots. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; substantial damage was observed on the right wing. 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-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2012_ERA12CA390.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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