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WPR25LA247

2025-08-10 · Etna, Wyoming, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 32WY

Current FAA registration · N801RA

Make / Model
AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1C-180
Year of manufacture
2012 · 13 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O-360-A1P (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20130102
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AAE70C

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s premature rotation at insufficient airspeed during takeoff to avoid an unexpected animal on the runway, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent nose-over during the aborted takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s excessive brake application.

Factual narrative

The pilot was departing from a private grass airstrip when an animal ran onto the runway. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the pilot applied abrupt back pressure on the control yoke, and the airplane lifted off before reaching a sufficient airspeed for sustained flight. The airplane settled back onto the runway and bounced. With limited runway remaining, the pilot aborted the takeoff and applied heavy braking, and the airplane subsequently nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the rudder and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Animal(s)/bird(s)-Contributed to outcome
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_WPR25LA247.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (loss of control). All research papers