- Date
- February 23, 2026, 13:34 local (18:34 UTC)
- Place
- Monroe, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9624JPiper PA-28-180
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 17, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- Case key
- 202490
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 directional control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Findings · 3
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 before landing in gusting crosswind conditions, he verified the crosswind component was within the capability of the airplane and completed the descent checklist. After crossing midfield, he entered the left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern and observed the windsock favoring runway 5, with wind “10-11 o’clock off the runway”. The before landing checklist was completed, and he planned to add 15 mph to his approach airspeed and utilize 20°of flaps. During final approach, reported wind was 340° at 15 knots, gusting to 27 knots. In the landing flare, the airplane encountered a “down forward forcing wind from the rear of the plane”, followed by a gust of wind from the left, before a go-around could be initiated. The airplane subsequently exited the runway, went over an embankment, and nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage, wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9624J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3780
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 3,956
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tideline Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 21, 2025
- Departed
- ILM · Wilmington, NC
- Destination
- EQY · Monroe, NC
- Airport
- EQY · Charlotte/Monroe Exec, runway 05, 7,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 24, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,278.4 total · 127.9 in this make and model · 1,105.4 as pilot in command · 66.7 in the last 90 days · 10.4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 4, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 6.8 in this make and model · 472.2 as pilot in command · 2.8 in the last 90 days · 0 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 15 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- EQY
- METAR
- METAR KEQY 231753Z AUTO 34015G27KT 10SM CLR 04/M11 A3004 RMK AO2 PK WND 30032/1726 SLP191 T00441111 10050 21022 58004
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.6 MB in all.