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GAA16CA125

2016-02-12 · Fort Smith, Arkansas, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport FSM

N505PC has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CIRRUS DESIGN SR22T, built 2022), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff in crosswind conditions, which resulted in runway excursion, impact with terrain and an airport sign, and a postimpact fire.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff in gusty crosswind conditions, the wind changed from a left crosswind to a left quartering tail wind. The tail of the airplane was pushed to the right; the nose turned to the left. He further reported that the left wing lifted, which caused the airplane to wheelbarrow off the runway to the left/right and impact an airport sign. Following the impact, the right fuel tank ruptured, the wing caught fire, and the airplane came to a stop. The right wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during takeoff in gusty crosswind conditions, the wind changed from a left crosswind to a left quartering tail wind. The tail of the airplane was pushed to the right; the nose turned to the left. He further reported that the left wing lifted, which caused the airplane to wheelbarrow off the runway to the left/right and impact an airport sign. Following the impact, the right fuel tank ruptured, the wing caught fire, and the airplane came to a stop. The right wing sustained substantial damage.   The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. 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
  • C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA125.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers