What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 26, 2003, at 1310 central daylight time, a Boeing A75N1 airplane, N55133, owned and operated by classic planes inc. of spring, Texas, sustained substantial damage when it ground looped while landing on runway 17 at the Sugar Land regional airport, Houston, Texas. The airline transport rated pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight. The local flight departed david wayne hooks memorial airport (dwh), Houston, at approximately 1000. During an interview conducted by the FAA investigator-in-charge (iic), the pilot stated that he "momentarily encountered a left quartering tailwind that lifted the left wing, and caused the airplane to ground loop." Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway to the right, the lower left wing struck the ground, and the left rear of the fuselage struck the runway precision approach path indicator (PAPI) lighting system. An examination of the airplane revealed that the outboard three (3) feet of the lower left wing was bent upward about 45 degrees. The left side of the fuselage, aft of the left wingand left horizontal stabilizer, was punctured.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 26, 2003, AT 1310 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A BOEING A75N1 AIRPLANE, N55133, OWNED AND OPERATED BY CLASSIC PLANES INC. OF SPRING, TEXAS, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT GROUND LOOPED WHILE LANDING ON RUNWAY 17 AT THE SUGAR LAND REGIONAL AIRPORT, HOUSTON, TEXAS. THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED DAVID WAYNE HOOKS MEMORIAL AIRPORT (DWH), HOUSTON, AT APPROXIMATELY 1000. DURING AN INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY THE FAA INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC), THE PILOT STATED THAT HE "MOMENTARILY ENCOUNTERED A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND THAT LIFTED THE LEFT WING, AND CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO GROUND LOOP." SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT, THE LOWER LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND, AND THE LEFT REAR OF THE FUSELAGE STRUCK THE RUNWAY PRECISION APPROACH PATH INDICATOR (PAPI) LIGHTING SYSTEM. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE OUTBOARD THREE (3) FEET OF THE LOWER LEFT WING WAS BENT UPWARD ABOUT 45 DEGREES. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE, AFT OF THE LEFT WINGAND LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, WAS PUNCTURED.
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 N55133 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.