- Date
- May 25, 2026, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cowley, WY · North Big Horn Cty Airport
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6440LAmerican AA1
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: 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
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20260525009549A
- Case key
- 203068
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 during landing.
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 solo student pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings. He reported that during the landing flare, the airplane ballooned, and he was unable to maintain directional control. The airplane touched down and subsequently exited the runway, impacted a drainage ditch, and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and rudder. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6440L
- Reported as
- American AA1 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA1A-0440
- Built
- 1972
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- U68 · Cowley, WY
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- U68 · North Big Horn County Airport, runway 09, 5,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 85
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 126 total · 94 in this make and model · 2.5 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KPOY, 15 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KPOY 251355Z AUTO 14007KT 10SM CLR 18/00 A3000 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.