N4346M

On May 15, 2010, a Wsk-pzl Warzawa-okecie PZL-104 WILGA 80 (N4346M) was involved in an incident near Linton, ND. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during landing with a 90-degree crosswind.

The pilot reported that he needed to make an en route fuel stop due to low fuel. The airport that was available had only one runway which necessitated making a 90-degree crosswind landing. He reported that the winds were 180 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 18 knots. The pilot flew a stabilized approach utilizing good crosswind control. He reported that at touchdown, a wind gust overcame the available rudder authority, and the airplane ground looped. The right wing and elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that “better preflight planning could have identified alternate fuel stops at airports with multiple runways, and avoided the need to land in excessive crosswinds due to low fuel.”

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA333. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4346M.