Skip to content

Atlas / NTSB / WPR25LA185

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event WPR25LA185

2025-06-20 San Andreas, California, United States Airport · CPU None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N28545

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

SILVAIRE LUSCOMBE 8A

Year of manufacture

1940 · 85 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR A&C65 SERIES (65 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19550902

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A2E390

Registrant of record

KITTLE STACY S JR

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s loss of directional control during landing roll following an encounter with a dust devil.

Factual narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that after performing a wheel landing, the tailwheel settled onto the runway. Shortly after, the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind or dust devil, which turned the airplane about 90° to the left. Subsequently, the airplane exited the left side of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and both main landing gear collapsed before the airplane came to rest upright. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 31 with wind from 270° at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots. One witness characterized the wind as a spiraling wind with extreme lift. 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-Attain/maintain not possible
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Dust devil/whirlwind-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_WPR25LA185.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.