No fatalities

11 Oct 2017: AIR TRACTOR INC AT 402B B — Brawley, CA

Brawley, CA, United States

On 11 Oct 2017, an AIR TRACTOR INC AT 402B B was involved in an aviation accident near Brawley, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in gusting crosswind conditions. 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

During landing roll in crosswind conditions, a gust of wind lifted the right wing of a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot was unable to correct, and the airplane veered left into a canal, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing.

Accident Details

A pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll in crosswind conditions, a gust of wind abruptly lifted the right wing. The pilot attempted to correct with control inputs but was unsuccessful. The airplane continued to veer to the left and came to a stop in a canal. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Information

The automated weather observation system located about 13 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about 7 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 160° at 4 knots. The pilot reported that he landed to the east.

Aircraft Information

The accident airplane was a tailwheel-equipped aircraft. No further details about the aircraft type, registration, or engine count were provided in the source.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation