No fatalities
26 May 2025: PIPER PA-18 NO SERIES — N7175D LLC — Vega, TX
On 26 May 2025, a PIPER PA-18 NO SERIES operated by N7175D LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Vega, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The airplane’s inadvertent encounter with a localized low boundary layer, which caused a wind shift, and a gusting tailwind during final approach, that resulted in the pilot deciding to impact a wind cone and a subsequent impact with terrain. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
The airplane’s inadvertent encounter with a localized low boundary layer, which caused a wind shift, and a gusting tailwind during final approach, that resulted in the pilot deciding to impact a wind cone and a subsequent impact with terrain. Contributing was the low-level convective turbulence.
— NTSB Determination
Contributing factors
PilotEffect on equipmentContributed to outcomeAwareness of conditionAbility to respond/compensate