Event WPR11CA014

2010-10-12 Palm Springs, California, United States Airport · PSP None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N66940

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

BOEING A75N1(PT17)

Year of manufacture

1943 · 67 years old at event

Engine

P&W R-985 SERIES (450 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19990302

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A8D8A5

Registrant of record

DESERT FLIGHT ACADEMY INC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N66940 Boeing A75N1(PT17) None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, resulting in a ground loop.

Factual narrative

The pilot was landing the tail wheel-equipped airplane on runway 31R. The pilot stated that during the landing, he encountered a crosswind, the left wingtip touched the runway, and the airplane ground looped. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the left aileron and a wing rib. Approximately 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was reported from 130 degrees at 4 knots. The pilot stated that during landing, the airplane encountered a crosswind. The left wingtip touched the runway and the airplane ground looped. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the left aileron and a wing rib. Approximately 15 minutes after the accident, the wind was reported from 130 degrees at 4 knots. 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

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2010_WPR11CA014.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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