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ERA21LA182

2021-04-10 · Bluefield, West Virginia, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BLF

Current FAA registration · N257DR

Make / Model
JUST AIRCRAFT LLC HIGHLANDER
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A271DA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing in a gusty crosswind, which resulted in a ground loop.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the amateur-built, experimental, tailwheel airplane stated that during a cross-country flight, he diverted due to stronger than expected headwinds. He added that the touchdown on the runway at the diversion airport was normal until the airplane veered left after being struck by a strong gust of wind. The pilot attempted to correct with full right brake and full right rudder, but the right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing contacted the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot also reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The recorded wind at the airport, about 30 minutes after the accident, was a direct left crosswind at 8 knots, gusting to 20 knots. 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 operation
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA21LA182.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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