Wsk-Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 WILGA 80 accident near Linton, North Dakota, May 15, 2010
On May 15, 2010 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Wsk-Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 WILGA 80, registered N4346M, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Linton, North Dakota (Linton Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during landing with a 90-degree crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 2010 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Linton, North Dakota · Linton Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk-Pzl Warzawa-Okecie PZL-104 WILGA 80 · all PZL-104 WILGA 80s on the register
- Registration
- N4346M · registry record · serial CF21910928
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.”
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 513 hours in all; 192 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 498 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,866 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pzl US 122 000 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VVV Ortonville MN at 2:30 pm
- Destination: DIK Dickenson ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 15 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN10CA333.