Boeing E75 accident near Cottonwood, Arizona, May 17, 2009
On May 17, 2009 at about 7:40 pm local time, a Boeing E75, registered N4787V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Cottonwood, Arizona (Cottonwood 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 inadequate compensation for the crosswinds during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 2009 · about 7:40 pm local time
- Place
- Cottonwood, Arizona · Cottonwood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing E75 · all E75s on the register
- Registration
- N4787V · registry record · serial 75-5814
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane stated that during the landing roll the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot applied right rudder and right aileron, and the airplane then encountered a gust of wind from the right. The left wing then struck the runway surface and the airplane departed the runway to the right, coming to rest in soft soil. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower wing spar during the accident sequence. The pilot reported that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,867 hours in all; 1,042 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 18,400 as pilot in command; 933 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 26, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,360 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 28, 2008; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt And Whitney R-985 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLH Blythe CA at 5:20 pm
- Destination: P52 Cottonwood AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,250 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from SEZ, 14 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N4787V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.