NTSB WPR10CA425 — 2010-09-06 · Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, United States

N515CW has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (KUBICEK FACTORY S R O BB18XR, built 2026), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N515CW Chris W Kleen RV-6 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the crosswind that resulted in a loss of directional control.

Factual narrative

The pilot was landing at his destination following a cross-country personal flight. He encountered a strong crosswind gust during the landing, and involuntarily exited the runway. The airplane collided with a runway sign, and sustained substantial damage to the firewall, right wing, right aileron, and the rear fuselage undercarriage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine. During landing, the airplane encountered a strong crosswind and veered off the runway. The airplane collided with a runway sign and sustained substantial damage to the firewall, right wing, right aileron, and the rear fuselage undercarriage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airframe or engine. 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-Crosswind correction-Not attained/maintained - C
C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
— Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Sign/marker-Effect on equipment
C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_WPR10CA425.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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