- Date
- June 27, 2026, 09:23 local (15:23 UTC)
- Place
- Angel Fire, NM
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N151PBCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- 20260627006459A
- Case key
- 203285
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 loss of directional control during landing with a crosswind.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, a strong gust of wind lifted the right wing, which resulted in the left wing tip striking the ground adjacent to the runway. The pilot initiated a go-around; however, after the airplane became airborne, the wind pushed the airplane to the left, and it settled into a ditch on the left side of the runway. Upon exiting the ditch, the airplane became airborne, and the wind pushed the airplane toward an airport perimeter fence. Subsequently, the left main landing gear struck the fence and the airplane nosed over which resulted in substantial damage to both wings, left horizontal stabilizer, and left elevator. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 17 with wind from 250° at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N151PB
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-02146
- Built
- 1973
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SRR · Ruidoso, NM
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- AXX · Angel Fire, runway 17, 8,300 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 31, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 601.2 total · 56.8 in this make and model · 538.1 as pilot in command · 36.7 in the last 90 days · 16.3 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Turbulence
- Moderate
- Observed at
- KAXX
- METAR
- METAR KAXX 271535Z AUTO 25009G18KT 200V280 10SM CLR 19/07 A3028 RMK AO2 T01860070
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 17, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.