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Atlas / NTSB / WPR11CA204

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR11CA204

2011-04-21 Palm Springs, California, United States Airport · PSP None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after landing with a crosswind.

Factual narrative

After exiting the runway, the airplane was struck by a gust of wind and flipped over. The pilot was interviewed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and stated that he had landed the airplane safely in crosswind conditions. As the airplane exited the runway, the wind shifted and he attempted to correct with full aileron and rudder input; however, his inputs were not successful and the airplane came to rest inverted. Airport personnel reported both wings, the tail, and vertical and horizontal stabilizers were damaged. They also indicated that the pilot reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane. Reported winds at the airport were from the northwest at 21 knots gusting to 38 knots. The pilot did not submit a written report. After exiting the runway, the airplane encountered a gust of wind and flipped over. The pilot stated that he landed the airplane safely in a crosswind. As the airplane exited the runway, the wind shifted and he attempted to correct with full aileron and rudder input; however, his inputs were not successful and the airplane came to rest inverted. Airport personnel reported that both wings, the tail, and vertical and horizontal stabilizers were damaged. They also indicated that the pilot reported that there were no mechanical issues with the airplane. The wind at the airport about the time of the accident was reported to be from the northwest at 21 knots gusting to 38 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
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Contributed to outcome
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_WPR11CA204.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.