Skip to content

WPR22LA260

2022-07-11 · Kelso, Washington, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport KLS

Current FAA registration · N43037

Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-161
Year of manufacture
1983 · 39 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19830405
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A525FF

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot’s inadequate flare resulting in a loss of airplane control during landing with gusting wind conditions.

Factual narrative

The student pilot reported that, during the flare for landing, the airplane experienced ground effect and was settling down to the runway when it was hit by “a very intense wind shear with a gust…” The pilot stated that the airplane yawed to the left and that he could not recover as the airplane exited the runway onto the grass. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged when it collided with a Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI). The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Student/instructed pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on equipment
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Runway/taxi/approach light-Effect on equipment
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_WPR22LA260.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (wind shear). All research papers