ERA22LA185

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that before landing, he made a low pass to check the controllability of the airplane close to the runway. While passing the windsock, he noted the surface winds appeared to be a direct crosswind from right to left. The pilot then set up the airplane for a full stop landing. As the airplane touched down, the wind had shifted to a quartering tailwind and the wing and tail began to lift. The pilot applied full right aileron and up elevator in an attempt to maintain directional control, however, the airplane departed the runway surface, the propeller impacted the ground and the airplane flipped over, which resulted in substantial damage to the rudder. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. 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-Tailwind-Effect on operation