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Atlas / NTSB / WPR23LA280

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR23LA280

2023-07-21 Kalispell, Montana, United States Airport · GPI None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N48MR

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

PIPER PA-12S

Year of manufacture

1947 · 76 years old at event

Engine

LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)

Seats / Engines

3 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19990430

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A5E763

Registrant of record

CASEY MIKE P

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing with a crosswind.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll with a right crosswind, he felt the right-wing lift, causing the airplane to veer to the left. He attempted to correct with right rudder; however, the airplane ground looped and came to rest in a nosed down position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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).

  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Response/compensation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA280.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.