Cessna 305A N305CR accident near Slatington Airport, Pennsylvania

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to land with a tailwind condition and the airfield's inaccurate windsock.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, the airplane was on a stabilized approach to runway 1. During the landing flare the airplane began drifting to the right. The pilot stated that he applied left rudder to compensate for the drift. Upon touchdown, the pilot applied the brakes and the airplane flipped upside down with the tail lifting up first. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the fuselage and vertical stabilizer. The FAA inspector also noted that the airfield wind sock had not been properly maintained and was not accurate. Wheel brake continuity was verified by the FAA inspector during postcrash inspection. The reported wind at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), Allentown, Pennsylvania, about 10 nautical miles to the southeast of the accident site, was from 200 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot did not report any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA14CA003 for the full record.