No fatalities

28 Nov 2009: PIPER PA-18-150 — David A Kirsten — Stockton, CA

Stockton, CA, United States

On 28 Nov 2009, a PIPER PA-18-150 operated by David A Kirsten was involved in an aviation accident near Stockton, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s inadequate compensation for a crosswind condition. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot requested to land on a taxiway but landed on the adjacent grass. During the landing roll, a gust of wind lifted the right wing, causing a loss of control and a nose-over. The FAA inspection found a broken rear spar on the right wing.

Incident Overview

During a landing at an airport, a pilot requested permission to land on a taxiway adjacent to runway 29L. The air traffic control tower controller cleared the airplane to land on the taxiway, but the pilot instead landed on the grass next to the taxiway.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported that during the landing roll, a gust of wind lifted the right wing. He stated that he did not have enough control authority to correct the elevated wing, and the airplane subsequently nosed-over.

FAA Inspection

Following the incident, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and noted that the rear spar on the right wing was broken.

Weather Conditions

At the time of the landing, the winds were reported from 350 degrees at 22 knots, gusting to 30 knots.

Contributing factors

Crosswind correction — Not attained/maintainedPilotResponse/compensation