- Date
- May 23, 2026, 15:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Woodruff, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N114DPCommander 114TC
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20260523009069A
- Case key
- 203061
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 failure to maintain airplane control during the go-around.
Findings · 2
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 he executed a crosswind landing, crossing the runway threshold at an indicated airspeed of 95 knots. The airplane’s main landing gear touched down at the 1,000 ft runway marker. During the landing roll, the pilot observed that the airspeed was increasing, and he realized the crosswind had shifted to a tailwind. He initiated a go-around because he believed that there was not enough useable runway to stop the airplane. The pilot stated that he attempted a soft-field performance takeoff during the go-around. However, the airplane was unable to climb out of ground effect and the airplane sank. The main landing gear impacted terrain beyond the runway surface and the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The reported wind at the time of the accident was 180 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 15 knots. The crosswind component was between 10.8 and 14.7 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N114DP
- Reported as
- Commander 114TC
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 20027
- Built
- 1999
- Airframe hours
- 1,486
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540 AG1A, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 2026
- Departed
- PWK · Prospect Heights, IL
- Destination
- ARV · Woodruff, WI
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ARV · Lakeland/Noble F Lee Meml Fld, runway 10/28, 3,602 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight 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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- May 4, 2026
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,682 total · 860 in this make and model · 2,415 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 11 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KARV
- METAR
- METAR KARV 232115Z AUTO 18011G15KT 10SM OVC041 19/10 A2995 RMK AO2 T01920101=
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.