Cessna 182 N1131M accident near South Charleston, West Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to continue landing after encountering a strong tailwind, which resulted in a loss of control and subsequent runway excursion.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that just before touching down on the 1,900-ft-long runway, the airplane was struck by a strong, unanticipated tailwind gust. The airplane subsequently touched down near the midpoint of the runway. The airplane then began to veer to the right and the pilot applied left brake to compensate. The airplane subsequently departed the runway surface to the right, near the departure end of the runway, and struck an embankment. The airplane’s fuselage and left elevator were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA25LA014 for the full record.