No fatalities

Pilot Relaxes Crosswind Correction During Landing, Veers Off Runway

East Hampton, NY, United States

On April 30, 2011, a CESSNA 182T operated by Lisa McCarthy was involved in an aviation accident near East Hampton, NY. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing with a crosswind, which resulted in a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During landing on runway 28, a pilot relaxed crosswind correction inputs, causing the airplane to veer off the left side onto uneven terrain. The nosegear collapsed and the firewall was damaged. No mechanical issues were reported.

Accident Details

A pilot reported that while approaching the destination airport, she obtained local wind information indicating winds from 350 degrees. She entered a left base leg for runway 34, but an airplane ahead was approaching runway 28 to practice crosswind landings. The accident pilot then decided to land on runway 28 behind the preceding airplane.

During the landing roll, she relaxed her crosswind correction inputs. The airplane subsequently veered off the left side of the runway onto uneven terrain. The nosegear collapsed, the airplane came to rest upright, and the firewall sustained damage.

The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident. Recorded winds at the airport around the time of the accident were from 320 degrees at 13 knots.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation