On May 7, 1995, a Beech F33A (registration N18413) operated by David G. Todd was involved in an aviation accident near Houston, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITIONS. A FACTOR WAS THE CROSSWIND. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During a crosswind landing flare, the aircraft drifted left off the runway. A go-around was attempted but the left wing tip struck the ground, and the airplane impacted terrain at a 90-degree angle to the runway.
Event Description
During the flare portion of a crosswind landing, the pilot allowed the airplane to drift left. This resulted in the airplane departing the runway surface. The pilot then applied full power and initiated a go-around maneuver. However, during the attempted go-around, the left wing tip struck the ground. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain at a 90-degree angle relative to the runway orientation.
Wind Conditions
Weather reports from Hobby Airport, located 15 miles northeast of the accident site, at 1150 Central Daylight Time indicated wind from 170 degrees with speeds varying from 13 to 20 knots. The pilot reported an observed wind from 160 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots. The maximum demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane was 17 knots.