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WPR23LA209

2023-05-30 · Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SAF

Current FAA registration · N69PV

Make / Model
PIPISTREL DOO AJDOVSCINA VIRUS SW
Engine
ROTAX 912ULS2 (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20151210
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A929B6

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

An encounter with a downdraft during landing that resulted in a hard landing and the pilot’s loss of control.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he experienced severe turbulence within about 10 miles of the airport as he was approaching to land. He further reported that during the landing, the airplane encountered a downdraft and bounced on touchdown. The airplane exited the runway to the left onto an adjacent grass area and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation during landing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Capability exceeded
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-(general)-(general)-Effect on operation
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent rate-Attain/maintain not possible

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA209.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 (loss of control, turbulence). All research papers