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WPR24LA180

2024-06-05 · Butte, Montana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport BTM

Current FAA registration · N87583

Make / Model
REPUBLIC RC-3
Year of manufacture
1946 · 78 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING GSO&IGSO-480 (340 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19920515
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC0C75

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during the takeoff with a gusty left quartering crosswind.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff, the airplane was about 5 ft above the ground when it encountered a gust of wind from the left, which pushed the airplane to the left and it impacted the ground. During the accident sequence, the left wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. At the time of the accident, the pilot was departing runway 33, and the wind was from 310° at 16 knots, gusting to 27 knots. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, 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-Effect on operation
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_WPR24LA180.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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