- Date
- February 26, 2026, 16:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO · Runway
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2251QRaytheon B36TC
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20260226010679A
- Case key
- 202560
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s improper landing flare and subsequent loss of directional control while attempting to land during high crosswind conditions.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that a crosswind of 28 knots, gusting to 44 knots, prevailed at the destination airport during the approach. As the airplane crossed the runway 21 threshold, it encountered windshear which resulted in a hard landing. The pilot subsequently lost directional control, and the airplane departed the runway pavement which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, left wing, and left aileron. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures before the accident. He added that he should not have attempted to land with the reported wind conditions. About 10 minutes before the accident, the destination airport Automated Surface Observing System recorded a peak wind from 300° at 39 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2251Q
- Reported as
- Raytheon B36TC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- EA-604
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 2,457.4
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 18, 2025 · 44.5 hours before
- Departed
- H81 · Amarillo, TX
- Destination
- DRO · Durango, CO
- Airport
- DRO · Durango-La Plata County, runway 21, 9,201 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 80
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,634 total · 1,767 in this make and model · 2,564 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 23 knots, gusting 32
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Turbulence
- Severe
- Observed at
- KDRO, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KDRO 262253Z AUTO 29023G32KT 10SM CLR 16/M10 A3010 RMK AO2 PK WND 30042/2234
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.