NTSB CAROL · Event
Event GAA17CA284
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing touchdown in a crosswind, a strong wind gust lifted the right wing. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 280° at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot landed on runway 22. The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing in a crosswind, a strong wind gust lifted the right wing. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and came to rest nose down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. A review of recorded data from the automated weather observation station located on the airport revealed that, about 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 280° at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot landed on runway 22. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or 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
- — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-(general)-Effect on equipment
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2017_GAA17CA284.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Abstract
Wetting Angle and Surface Tension of Germanium Melts on Different Substrate Materials
The sessile drop technique has been used to measure the wetting angle and the surface tension of molten germanium (Ge) on various substrate materials.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Abstract
Determination of the Wetting Angle of Germanium and Germanium-Silicon Melts on Different Substrate Materials
During Bridgman growth of semiconductors detachment of the crystal and the melt meniscus has occasionally been observed, mainly under microgravity (microg) conditions.
- NASA NTRS 2019 · Abstract
Contact Angles and Surface Tension of Germanium-Silicon Melts
Precise knowledge of material parameters is more and more important for improving crystal growth processes. Two important parameters are the contact (wetting) angle and the surface tension, determinin…
- arXiv 2019 · arXiv preprint
Heat and water vapor transfer in the wake of a falling ice sphere and its implication for secondary ice formation in clouds
We perform direct numerical simulations of the settling of an ice sphere in an ambient fluid accounting for heat and mass transfer with the aim of studying in a meteorological context the case of fall…
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