Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2002 SIERRA MKII accident near Nacogdoches, Texas, March 24, 2025
On March 24, 2025 at about 3:48 pm local time, a 2022 Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2002 SIERRA MKII, registered N439FJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Nacogdoches, Texas (A L Mangham Jr. Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 directional control while landing with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2025 · about 3:48 pm local time
- Place
- Nacogdoches, Texas · A L Mangham Jr. Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Costruzioni Aeronautiche Tecna P2002 SIERRA MKII, built 2022 · all P2002 SIERRA MKIIs on the register
- Registration
- N439FJ · registry record · serial 584
- 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 the initial leg of the cross-country flight proceeded normally. As he approached the airport to land on the return flight, a right 80° crosswind prevailed. The first two approaches to runway 36 were not stable, and he decided to execute go-arounds. On the third approach, the crosswind was then gusting to 17 knots; however, the approach seemed to be stable, and the pilot continued with the landing. As the main wheels touched down a wind gust from the right pushed the airplane off the runway. The pilot’s efforts to maintain directional control were not successful, and the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The airplane came to rest in the grass area adjacent to the runway with substantial damage to the firewall and engine mount. The pilot reported no failures or malfunctions that might have contributed to the loss of control. The recorded wind at the time of the accident was 070° at 11 knots.
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
- Runway excursion during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 112 hours in all; 108 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 40 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 19, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 919.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 11, 2024; 79 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,398 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912ULS2 (piston); 919 hours total
- Operator: Hch Aviation Holdings LLC - Series N439Fj
The flight
- Departed from: TRL Terrell TX at 2:30 pm
- Destination: OCH Nacogdoches TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.80 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from OCH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Email Correspondence -- Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Flight Manual (Excerpt) -- Demonstrated Crosswind Component | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 CEN25LA145.