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Atlas / NTSB / WPR23LA190

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR23LA190

2023-05-12 Elko, Nevada, United States Airport · EKO None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N12HD

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1C-180

Year of manufacture

2022 · 1 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING O-360-A1P (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20221024

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A0520C

Registrant of record

MOROTTI JOHN

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing with a quartering tailwind.

Factual narrative

According to the pilot, prior to commencing his approach to land the reported wind at the airport was variable at 5kts. During landing the tail of the airplane rose and shifted to the left at touchdown. The pilot attempted to recover, but the airplane ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the left and right ailerons. Upon exiting the aircraft, the pilot observed the windsock indicating a quartering tailwind. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. 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).

  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Ability to respond/compensate

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA190.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.