No fatalities

27 Nov 2009: PIPER PA-25-260 — Southern California Soaring Academy — Llano, CA

Llano, CA, United States

On 27 Nov 2009, a PIPER PA-25-260 operated by Southern California Soaring Academy was involved in an aviation accident near Llano, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusting crosswind conditions and failure to maintain lateral and directional control. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 11 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported losing control during a glider tow takeoff in gusty crosswind conditions, resulting in a terrain collision that damaged the right wing and empennage.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that during a takeoff with a glider in tow, the aircraft experienced a loss of control shortly after lifting off. According to the pilot's account, the takeoff roll was conducted in a gusting 15-knot left crosswind. The pilot stated that he was holding the aileron control to the left during the takeoff roll. As the airplane lifted off, it rolled immediately to the right. The pilot then applied full left aileron but was unable to maintain control of the airplane and subsequently released the tow rope. The airplane collided with terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and empennage.

Weather Conditions

The accident occurred at a private airport that was not equipped with official weather reporting facilities. The closest official weather reporting station, located 15 miles northwest of the accident site, indicated wind conditions of 20 knots, gusting to 25 knots. The pilot reported a gusting 15-knot left crosswind at the time of the takeoff.

Post-Accident Examination

Post-accident examination of the aircraft by FAA inspectors revealed no anomalies with the airplane's flight control systems.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedResponse/compensationPilot