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WPR11CA178

2011-03-31 · Winslow, Arizona, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport INW

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusty crosswind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that he was on a stabilized approach to runway 29. The right main gear touched down prior to the left main, and then a gust of wind lifted the airplane back into the air. The airplane slammed back into the ground, and the pilot lost control. As he was trying to regain control, another gust picked the airplane up, and pushed it off the centerline of the runway. He applied power and attempted to abort the landing. He indicated that wind did not let up, and the airplane was about to flip over. He managed to keep it upright, but crashed after crossing the parallel taxiway. He stated that the winds were from 320 degrees at 16 knots gusting to 27 knots. The pilot stated that he was on a stabilized approach. Upon landing, the right main gear touched down prior to the left main, and then a gust of wind lifted the airplane back into the air. The airplane slammed back into the ground, and the pilot lost control. As he was trying to regain control, another gust picked the airplane up, and pushed it off the centerline of the runway. He applied power and attempted to abort the landing. He indicated that the wind did not let up, and the airplane was about to flip over. He managed to keep it upright, but crashed after crossing the parallel taxiway. The empennage separated from the airframe. He stated that the reported wind was from 320 degrees at 16 knots gusting to 27 knots. 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
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on equipment
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on equipment
  • C Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_WPR11CA178.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.