No fatalities

Crosswind Landing Leads to Loss of Control During Go-Around

Minneapolis, MN, United States

On August 31, 2014, an EVEKTOR-AEROTECHNIK AS SPORTSTAR operated by BAAR RONALD was involved in an aviation accident near Minneapolis, MN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of control while landing with a crosswind. Contributing to the accident was the pilot lack of experience flying in similar weather conditions. 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

A pilot lost control during a go-around after a gust lifted the right wing on touchdown. The pilot reported limited crosswind experience due to school policy.

Circumstances

The pilot was landing on runway 12 at the destination airport. The wind was reported from 190 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot conducted a straight-in approach from 1-2 miles, crabbing the airplane to compensate for the crosswind. Shortly before touchdown, the pilot aligned the nose with the runway centerline and reduced power.

At touchdown, a gust of wind lifted the right wing and lowered the left wing until it contacted the runway. The pilot initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the left wing struck the ground, and the pilot lost control. The pilot reported that the airplane then stalled and impacted the ground.

Pilot Experience

The pilot stated that his flight school did not practice landings when the crosswind component was 10 knots or higher. As a result, he had limited experience flying in winds exceeding a 10-knot crosswind component.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Ability to respond/compensate