19970324007039I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Swift Swift S1 · El Cajon, CA · March 24, 1997

Date: March 24, 1997 · 17:00 local
Place: El Cajon, CA
Airport: Gillespie Field Airport
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N369BZ
Reported as: Swift Swift S1
Reported engine: Continental IO360A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,900 total48 in this make and model210 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: pilot stated that he departed corona, California and flew uneventfully to El Cajon. Upon landing attempt on runway 27R the pilot experienced a significant left cross wind. The pilot (who had over 700 hours has tail wheel time) tried to compensate w/aileron & rudder & brake application. However, the short coupled tail wheel a/c started to ground loop & veered left off the runway near taxiway "bravo". The a/c hit a taxiway sign which caused the left & right landing gear to collapse. The propeller struck the ground. Damage to the a/c was limited to minor sheet metal damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot & his passenger were not injured. This incident is not related to any NMAC or pilot deviations reported by ATC.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED CORONA, CALIFORNIA AND FLEW UNEVENTFULLY TO EL CAJON. UPON LANDING ATTEMPT ON RUNWAY 27R THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT LEFT CROSS WIND. THE PILOT (WHO HAD OVER 700 HOURS HAS TAIL WHEEL TIME) TRIED TO COMPENSATE W/AILERON & RUDDER & BRAKE APPLICATION. HOWEVER, THE SHORT COUPLED TAIL WHEEL A/C STARTED TO GROUND LOOP & VEERED LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY NEAR TAXIWAY "BRAVO". THE A/C HIT A TAXIWAY SIGN WHICH CAUSED THE LEFT & RIGHT LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND. DAMAGE TO THE A/C WAS LIMITED TO MINOR SHEET METAL DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE. THE PILOT & HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THIS INCIDENT IS NOT RELATED TO ANY NMAC OR PILOT DEVIATIONS REPORTED BY ATC.