NTSB ERA23LA244 — 2023-05-23 · Reidsville, North Carolina, United States

Current FAA registration · N8992J

Make / Model: PIPER PA-28-180
Year of manufacture: 1965 · 58 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19660119
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S AC696A

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N8992J Piper PA28 Minor

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in a crosswind.

Factual narrative

The solo student pilot described that, during the landing approach, there was a crosswind from the right. When the airplane touched down, it drifted to the left. The pilot attempted to correct by applying right rudder, but the airplane departed the left side of the runway and continued through a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
— Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ERA23LA244.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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