What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Weathervaned into crosswind taking. Runway. Elected turn around. Was blown over. (.19) taxiing into position on runway 180. Was blown over by strong wind gust. (.4) as the tailwheel-equipped airplane was being taxied toward the centerline of runway 34R, it turned to the left, nosed down, and came to rest balanced on the left main landing gear, the left wing tip, and the propeller spinner. According to the pilot, the left turn was due to a wind gust that 'hit the airplane and spun it counterclockwise.' Following the nose down, the pilot got out of the airplane and attempted to hold the airplane; however, the wind blew the airplane over onto its back. The pilot indicated that the winds at the time of the accident were from 280 to 310 degrees at approximately 20 to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots. At 1353, seven minutes prior to the accident, the recorded winds at the airport were from a true heading of 300 degrees at 24 knots with gusts to 31 knots. The crosswind component for a takeoff on runway 34R (true heading 352 degrees) with a wind from 300 degrees at 30 knots was calculated to be 23 knots. According to the pilot's operating handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind veloci ty for the airplane was 12 knots. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by 'selection of runway that more aligns with current winds.' (-23) the pilot stated that he taxied onto runway 34R, high winds weather vaned the aircraft into a west/northwesterly direction. The airman decided to turn the aircraft around. When he did, the wind picked the back of the aircraft up and flipped it over onto its back. (.4)as the tailwheel-equipped airplane was being taxied toward the centerline of runway 34R, it turned to the left, nosed down, and came to rest balanced on the left main landing gear, the left wing tip, and the propeller spinner. According to the pilot, the left turn was due to a wind gust that 'hit the airplane and spun it counterclockwise.' Following the nose down, the pilot got out of the airplane and attempted to hold the airplane; however, the wind blew the airplane over onto its back. The pilot indicated that the winds at the time of the accident were from 280 to 310 degrees at approximately 20 to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots. At 1353, seven minutes prior to the accident, the recorded winds at the airport were from a true heading of 300 degrees at 24 knots with gusts to 31 knots. The crosswind component for a takeoff on runway 34R (true heading 352 degrees) with a wind from 300 degrees at 30 knots was calculated to be 23 knots. According to the pilot's operating handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 12 knots. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by 'selection of runway that more aligns with current winds.'
As the FAA filed it
WEATHERVANED INTO CROSSWIND TAKING. RUNWAY. ELECTED TURN AROUND. WAS BLOWN OVER. (.19) TAXIING INTO POSITION ON RUNWAY 180. WAS BLOWN OVER BY STRONG WIND GUST. (.4) AS THE TAILWHEEL-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE WAS BEING TAXIED TOWARD THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 34R, IT TURNED TO THE LEFT, NOSED DOWN, AND CAME TO REST BALANCED ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE LEFT WING TIP, AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE LEFT TURN WAS DUE TO A WIND GUST THAT 'HIT THE AIRPLANE AND SPUN IT COUNTERCLOCKWISE.' FOLLOWING THE NOSE DOWN, THE PILOT GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 280 TO 310 DEGREES AT APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS. AT 1353, SEVEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE RECORDED WINDS AT THE AIRPORT WERE FROM A TRUE HEADING OF 300 DEGREES AT 24 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 31 KNOTS. THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT FOR A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 34R (TRUE HEADING 352 DEGREES) WITH A WIND FROM 300 DEGREES AT 30 KNOTS WAS CALCULATED TO BE 23 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND VELOCI TY FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS 12 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY 'SELECTION OF RUNWAY THAT MORE ALIGNS WITH CURRENT WINDS.' (-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TAXIED ONTO RUNWAY 34R, HIGH WINDS WEATHER VANED THE AIRCRAFT INTO A WEST/NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. THE AIRMAN DECIDED TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT AROUND. WHEN HE DID, THE WIND PICKED THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT UP AND FLIPPED IT OVER ONTO ITS BACK. (.4)AS THE TAILWHEEL-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE WAS BEING TAXIED TOWARD THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 34R, IT TURNED TO THE LEFT, NOSED DOWN, AND CAME TO REST BALANCED ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE LEFT WING TIP, AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE LEFT TURN WAS DUE TO A WIND GUST THAT 'HIT THE AIRPLANE AND SPUN IT COUNTERCLOCKWISE.' FOLLOWING THE NOSE DOWN, THE PILOT GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 280 TO 310 DEGREES AT APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS. AT 1353, SEVEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE RECORDED WINDS AT THE AIRPORT WERE FROM A TRUE HEADING OF 300 DEGREES AT 24 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 31 KNOTS. THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT FOR A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 34R (TRUE HEADING 352 DEGREES) WITH A WIND FROM 300 DEGREES AT 30 KNOTS WAS CALCULATED TO BE 23 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND VELOCITY FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS 12 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY 'SELECTION OF RUNWAY THAT MORE ALIGNS WITH CURRENT WINDS.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N121KS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.